To Be Free
the last time i felt free
was when i didn’t know
what “freedom” was,
& when my mind
did not calculate
the value of time.
the last time i felt free,
i was young &
i could reach my arms out
during a game of tag
& yell “you’re it!”
freedom was a loosely used term
& echoed my heart that hoped to fly,
with no bars or barriers,
just my heart exposed to the sky.
freedom was when i could show my heart
like a hand in a game of cards,
moments where i could make
mistakes without the “i’m sorry,”
& jump into the puddles
to make a mess
because i knew that i was a kid
& mistakes were okay.
now, freedom is undefined
& jump; my math tells me the limit does not exist,
but i know that i cannot
wear my heart on my sleeve &
that i will be judged by my outsides,
not who i am inside.
Ilana Drake is a first-year student at Vanderbilt University. She is a student activist and writer. She has written for Ms. Magazine, The 74, YR Media, and other national publications. Her work can be found at https://ilanadrake.wixsite.com/mysite/projects
