In my own experience, to be free means to feel alive, happy, stable, not worrying whether you’re gonna get in trouble over stupid stuff, and especially not having the cops chase after you just ’cause you’re out after 10 p.m. at night.

When you look at my piece, you’ll see a young lad with no control over his life—just a brainless body, a nose with bird feet sitting on a stick smoking on a cig.

That person is me, and you might wonder, “Why Eli? Why do you picture yourself in this disgusting image?” Well because, Reader, this is truthfully who I am. I have no control, no freedom, no say on what I want my life to look like at the moment, because there are people who take freedom, and that is why I am taking this to heart. Because not every kid has the same freedom as the kid they sit next to in class.

This image is to express what I feel like down below. I feel like a bird with no brain in a cage. I chose the other image to express what I want to feel like. This other image means stability, life, freedom, control, and fun.

As I was completing this project, I realized that I’m smart as hell. I’m definitely gonna go somewhere in life. After what I’ve been through, I’m glad I’ve had the experience or else I wouldn’t be the person I am today.