Coloring

Coloring outside the Lines is scary business.

Some days, I don't have the courage for it at all.

On my big, bold days though,
I like to let my red crayon just streak across the line.
Then I swirl my purple and orange out there with it in perfect freedom,
No lines!

Coloring outside the Lines is lonely too.
I'm the only one who doesn't get a gold star on my paper.
My teacher frowns.
The kids call me weird or dumb or stupid.

Why don't they see that I'm not behind them?
I'm out in front, running free outside the lines!

It would be nice to have a friend who
colored outside the lines sometimes too.
Would you?

* Note: I got this poem from my mother-in-law.  It was printed out from an email she received eleven years ago.  It was written by Sarah Maney.