Life is so ironic. We embrace the most harmful and run away from things that add to our life or enhance our experience. This summer I was given the opportunity to meet someone very special to me, a young boy not far from my home who was all of 8 years old but possessed the wisdom and survival skills of someone three times his age. The photo above was taken on the fourth of July, I caught him and his siblings playing amongst glass, dodging cars and playing with lighters. Not one responsible parent to be found as I sat outside their home for two hours talking and laughing while photographing these three boys. The eldest seemed to have the most pure heart but had a rough exterior. He was the sole protector of his younger siblings but seemed to have found refuge in speaking with an adult who took an interest in him.

I watched as they played and listened to him tell me why he could no longer get sick or injured as his family ran out of medicare and insurance so if he was hurt his mother told him he would not be able to see a doctor. I listened to a childhood lost and a developed sense of hopelessness. His eyes were as big as the moon on a clear night but they were aged and searched about for someone to protect him as he were his siblings. During our conversation his youngest brother lit a small firecracker and he transformed from warrior to a scared child. I was just putting my camera back to my face as he was shuddering with fear of the sound while his brothers laughed.

The moment I met these children I knew I had to photograph them before they moved or were taken from the mother. One month after I took their pictures they were evicted and I havent seen nor heard from them since. I thank them for the opportunity to capture a memory of them.