Someone started to call me
Different,
Caught themselves,
"You're unique."

Ma'am, with all the respect in the world,
Everyone's unique,
But not everyone's different.

Because unique
Means that you're you.
Which isn't bad.

Different means
That not only are you you,
You're the hero in your story,
You've climbed mountains,
Sailed seas,
Saw a million sights unseen,
And dream in colors
No one else has thought to create.

Unique means that you're
Different from other people,
But to the same level they are.

Different means that you
Broke every mold,
Nothing about you is reminiscent
Of someone else.

I am my own person.
I have my own life.
I dance to my own beat.
I color outside the lines.

Don't try to be polite
And label me unique,
You won't hurt my feelings
By saying I'm different,
In fact,
You might make my day.


So unique is good,
Different is good,
But remember,
I'm different,
And that's not bad,
In fact,
I rather like it.

So don't think of different as bad,
Think of a green apple
In a bushel of red apples,
Think of the first autumn leaf,
And then,
Think of me.