What if you were a piece of paper? What would you feel and experience? "Discarded" by Jessica Kern is precisely about that. Unlike the vast majority of stories, essays, and poems submitted to Teen Ink, it doesn't circulate around adolescents. It doesn't even touch upon current events or the emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of a person's life, except for writing and, hence the title, discarding. That is exactly what makes the piece so original.
        "Discarded" describes what it felt like for a paper to be selected, written across, and then thrown aside (after being crushed). It “reflects” on a paper’s senses of anticipation, eagerness, and anxiety. However, though I have never met a living paper, I found that this piece can, unfortunately, be found relatable to teenagers today. Though they are eager to discover themselves and be themselves, others figuratively toss them aside and label them worthless for no valid reason. Perhaps the author did not have this thought in mind when writing this piece. All the more so, hopefully this piece will move others to think before they speak and act, to respect and value others and their feelings, and keep this a story simply reflecting the feelings of a sheet of paper.