When someone hurts us, it’s so much easier to just lash out and hope that we did more damage to them than they did to us. However, this isn’t always possible and it’s that helplessness that can lead to feelings of self-hate and depression.

However, one boy who answered his bullies with a poem has left viewers in tears after it was read out loud during an interview on ITV’s This Morning on Monday.

Twelve-year-old Alfie Coleiro, from Eastbourne, Essex, was told by bullies to kill himself because “being ginger is worse than cancer.” The bullies had used an anonymous messaging app to send the cruel messages. But Alfie had a classy response in the form of a poem where he told them that he was “born to stand out.”

Viewers praised the boy and called his reaction “inspiring” with one even saying: “He should run the country!”

Alfie’s father had shared the poem on Facebook where it was quickly shared hundreds of times.

This Morning hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes interviewed Alfie and his mother Nyree where he was asked to read the poem aloud.

Viewers quickly praised him with one tweeting, “Crying listening to Alfie’s poem. He’s the cutest little thing and so intelligent. I love how he dealt with the whole situation. Inspiring.”

In the poem, Alfie labeled the bullies as “so so cruel” and continues by asking, “are you really like this?…Have you not got anything better to do?”

He ended his poem with the following lines: “I’m not gonna sit there, cry and freak out, But without a doubt,

“I’m not gonna blend in. WHEN I WAS BORN TO STAND OUT.”

In a world where many children silently suffer through the effects of bullying, Alfie’s beautiful and honest response is an inspiration to all.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Bullying ain’t nice,

It ain’t cool,

Just because I am ginger,

You’re so so cruel,

Are you really like this?

Have you not got anything better to do?

Or are you gonna treat me like gum on the bottom of your shoe?

You’re an idiot – you have made me cry,

But that’s not the case,

Not even my home is my safe place,

I see the messages and feel like cr*p,

It’s like I’m stuck in some sort of trap,

So I’m not okay,

But I will say I’m fine,

I make people happy and people fake their smiles,

I might be faking mine,

I’ve got love and support,

That’s all I need,

Just please own up,

Please please please,

Don’t be like this,

Don’t be mean,

Can’t say it to my face,

So you sit behind a screen,

But I’m gonna carry on with life,

Do what I wanna do,

Don’t interrupt me anymore,

I’m done with you,

So I’m not gonna sit there, cry and freak out,

But without a doubt,

I’m not gonna blend in,

WHEN I WAS BORN TO STAND OUT.