COLORING
Sarah Hall Maney

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 let my red crayon
just streak across a 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
The teacher frowns
the kids call me weird
or dumb
or retarded

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?