You Can Change People

 

They say you can't, it's set in stone,
That people walk their paths alone.
But truth unfolds a different way—
We shape each other every day.

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With open hands and hearts that see,
Through choice, not force, change comes to be.
A whispered word, a guiding hand,
Not chains of will, but paths well-planned.

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To change another, first you ask,
Not wielding power like a mask.
For when permission lights the way,
Transformation finds its stay.

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Respectful words, a clear request,
A space for “no,” a choice expressed.
Through boundaries firm and trust held true,
The shifts we seek will start anew.

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Yet push too hard, demand too loud,
And walls rise up—a stubborn shroud.
Advice unbidden, sharp with blame,
Will only spark defense and shame.

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Control may bend a will in time,
But at what cost? A love declined.
Resentment brews where force has tread,
A hollow "yes," a heart unfed.

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The truest change is built on trust,
A win for both—a bond robust.
Not “do my will, or face my scorn,”
But space to grow, to be reborn.

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So if you seek to shift the tide,
Walk not with chains, but love as guide.
For though the world may seem so still,
You shape its course through choice, not will.