I was always shy. <br /> <br />I was quiet too. <br /> <br />I didn’t make friends with everyone, <br /> <br />But I wasn’t alone. <br /> <br /> <br />People used to tell me “Just be yourself.” <br /> <br />What if that is me? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />I always told people <br /> <br />How nice they looked. <br /> <br />Most of them didn’t believe me, <br /> <br />But I didn’t care. <br /> <br /> <br />People told me not to pretend, “Just be yourself.” <br /> <br />What if that is me? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />I used to smile <br /> <br />Just because I was happy <br /> <br />I didn’t like being angry. <br /> <br />I didn’t want to cry. <br /> <br /> <br />People told me to stop faking it, “Just be yourself.” <br /> <br />What if that is me? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />I always believed in people, <br /> <br />And in the impossible. <br /> <br />They didn’t understand, <br /> <br />But I didn’t mind. <br /> <br /> <br />People told me to be realistic, “Just be yourself.” <br /> <br />What if that is me? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />I used to read books. <br /> <br />I didn’t mind school. <br /> <br />I knew I was different, <br /> <br />But it didn’t bother me. <br /> <br /> <br />People told me to be normal, “Just be yourself.” <br /> <br />What if that is me? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />One day I met a quiet girl, <br /> <br />In the mirror I looked in. <br /> <br />She was kind but different <br /> <br />And she believed in me. <br /> <br /> <br />People told her to be something that she wasn’t. <br /> <br />But she wouldn’t change. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />They said one thing, <br /> <br />But meant another. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />They said be normal, <br /> <br />She said, I’m not. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />They said be realistic, <br /> <br />She said, I can’t. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />They said stop pretending, <br /> <br />She said, I wasn’t. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />They said “Be yourself.” <br /> <br />She said, I am.<br /><br />Aleksandra Lachut<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/just-be-yourself-2/
