I am an odd one. What can I do?
You have three joints; I only have two.
You’re tall and thin, and I’m a stumpy thing.
I don’t wear ornaments, and you wear rings.
Just because I’m different, it doesn’t mean I’m dumb.
You are a finger, and I am a thumb.
And we’re lucky we’re opposable.
Sometimes I’m lonely going a different way.
You stick with your friends, I stick out like a
Sore thumb.
But we’re a good team. We pick up a lot.
I love what you are. I love what you’re not.
We’re lucky we’re opposable.
If I was broken, you’d be broken, too.
Because there are so many things we couldn’t do.
Like putting on clothes, and opening jars –
Not to mention opening eating candy bars!
We’re lucky we’re opposable!
So come on! Let’s treat each other well!
Let’s put these digits to work and make them tell
The world
That we’re a family, with so much to give.
Without each other, it’d be hard to live.
And sad.
So if we think that we’re on different sides,
We need to look down to where we abide.
We’re all connected to the place we stand.
Essential parts of an amazing hand.
And we’re lucky we’re opposable.
*This was originally written as a song, but I have also read it to audiences as a poem.
You’ll find the original under Songs, also called Opposable.