Free the Artist

Today I Was Walking To Our Garden

Created by Adrian Torres

Image generated by staff

Today I walked to our garden, which sits behind a closed fence, and I stopped. I wasn’t sure what—or whom—was calling me to pause. But I did. I stood there looking at the garden flowers in their full glory. Open, as if inviting the sun, air, and bees to visit. Birds were cliff-diving off the edge of the birdbath into the cool water, fluttering away the excess drops on their way out.

I was enjoying seeing nature simply be—in its own little area inside a prison mostly made of steel and concrete. Yet even so, I wasn’t sure why I felt this energetic pull to stop and look at the garden.

Then I realized: right in front of me, pressed against the chain-link fence that kept the garden in and me out, were flowers pushing themselves through the wire. No fence obstructed their beauty. They appeared heavenly. Their energy reached out and gripped my soul. It was those blossoms pushing through that had called me!

But why?

I stood there minutes longer, shifting my gaze back and forth between the flowers inside the fence line and those outside.

“Talk to me,” I whispered to the brave blossoms that had dared to push through.

A few minutes later, as I looked again at the flowers inside the fence, I saw that the barrier was keeping their beauty from being seen. It also kept them from inviting anyone or anything outside into their space. They could only serve those within.

But the flowers that had pushed through the fence, that had found their way to freedom, were able to reach and bless even more.

AI art by Nancy, Unconditional Freedom team member

About the Artist

Adrian Torres

Free the Artist bio: My name is Adrian, I've been serving 25-to-Life in the California Department of Corrections. I was arrested in December 1999, and have not seen freedom since. And rightly so. Unfortunately, I callously and heinously killed Vyncent, an innocent human being. By law, I'm considered a "youth offender", but since I've been in the system for 25+ years, and I will be 50 in October 2025, I'm also considered "elderly." I'm Mexican but was born in the United States, and speak both English and Spanish. It took me a long time to find "me" between both cultures. Which was a big source of much of my childhood trauma. Currently I spend hours and hours in a week learning more about me, but also utilize what I learn to guide others through their trauma too. I love writing. Although I was literally illiterate all my life, I managed to find joy in creative writing. Being able to express my personality on paper has allowed me to purge many unvoiced hurts that once lingered deep within my body. I love love love love love to laugh and especially make others laugh. If I could live in a world of joy, laughter, and good humor I would be content. This year, 2025, I'm scheduled to go (for the third time) up in front of the California Board to see if I am found no longer a risk to society. Although I deeply know I no longer live a life of any type of violence, I have deep doubt I will ever be let go. So please, hold me in your thoughts and prayers. Its not easy. Thank you for reading my submissions. I hope to send more in soon.

View all Artwork by Adrian Torres