I Am Ready I found him sitting beside the sidewalk, resting on what looked like a piece of torn, weathered fabric. He wasn't doing anything in particular. He was simply watching the people passing by, the movement of the street, and life unfolding around him. When I first saw him, I was immediately drawn to his appearance: his hat, his hair, his nose, his face as a whole. There was something striking about him. But more than that, I noticed a quiet satisfaction in his expression, almost a hidden smile, accompanied by a remarkable sense of calm. When I asked if I could photograph him, his response was immediate. “Hell yeah! Let's do it.” His energy surprised me. As we began talking, he started telling me stories about other countries and memories from his time in Rome. He even spoke a few words of Italian. I couldn't tell whether every story was completely accurate, but honestly, it didn't matter to me. I listened, smiled, and let him tell his stories as he remembered them. Then he said something that stayed with me: “I've seen everything in my life. Now I'm ready to leave this world.” After saying it, he turned his gaze to the right. I followed his eyes. At that moment, I noticed the light falling across his face. It touched the bridge of his nose and illuminated his features against the surrounding darkness. To me, it looked almost as if a door had opened somewhere beyond him as if the light of a distant heaven had found its way onto his face. I pressed the shutter. For a brief moment, the light, his expression, and his words seemed to become one. I don't know what he had truly seen in his life, or whether every story he told me was true. But I remember the feeling of that moment: a man who seemed completely at peace with the life he had lived, sitting quietly at the edge of the street. Photo By Ebrahim Elmi Edition:1/1 Epilogue II: Love Your Neighbor Among the people I encountered throughout my journey in the Homeless Epilogue series, I met many friends, artists, and art lovers. But the person who was always there with me, standing by my side and supporting this cause, is my dear friend David Chidgey. David shared his visions with me about the concept and offered me the name for the second series: “Love Your Neighbor.” I found the title deeply meaningful and profoundly connected to the spirit of this work. I asked David to share his own thoughts and mindset behind these words, and he kindly honored me by accepting. I have attached his words to this description, not only to give the title another voice, but to preserve a part of our friendship, our shared vision, and this journey forever on the blockchain. "When I first saw Ebrahim’s portraits of people on the streets, I thought of the call to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means paying attention to every person with the same care and dignity you would want for yourself, especially those on the margins the ones who are so easily overlooked. Ebrahim’s compassion allows him to truly see each individual and connect with them. In doing so, he captures the essence of their stories and the struggles they carry." David Chidgey Over the course of nearly two years, I dedicated myself to this collection, immersing myself in the lives of these individuals. What struck me the most was their undeniable kindness and their longing for consideration. All they needed was someone to listen, to lend them an ear. In my encounters with these people, their stories touched me profoundly. I discovered that behind their current circumstances, they were once living a good life, holding steady jobs. However, a specific event or an unfortunate situation had stripped them of everything they held dear. To capture the essence of these individuals, I always carried a black background with me. Through their eyes and hands, I aimed to convey their emotions and invite viewers to feel a connection to these powerful images. What resonated with me the most was the overwhelming generosity of these individuals. Despite their own hardships, they accepted my help with great difficulty. In these moments of communication, I realized that their past lives and present struggles were much more complex than what met the eye. This collection was Nominated in 35Awards International Photography competition in between 400 thousand entries as the best male portraits of the year. License: Primary NFT holder is free to use in display privately and in groups, including virtual galleries, documentaries, and essays by the holder of the NFT, as long as the creator is credited. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works. Copyright remains with the creator.