What does it mean to be "woke'? The poet tells young people "Our voice / is our greatest power .... It happens everywhere / It is active / It is energy / It is resisting to be comfortable / When we all have yet to feel safe and free." Many poems tell individual stories and slices of family life. All of the poems are "tagged" with topics, including "activism," "ableism," "ally," "body positivity," "community," "empathy," "equality," "forgiveness," "freedom fighters," "gender," "immigration," "intersectionality," "individuality," "joy," "justice," "prejudice," "privilege," "protest," "resistance," "resourcefulness," "silencing," "stereotyping," "volunteering," "woke."
we are awake
wide in our understanding
of what is so pretty and shiny
of what is dull and dim
in this world
but look here
even wider
between our outstretched arms
a brave and growing world
look closely
don't forget
we invited you here
to live inside
this truth
this freedom
we never sleep on what's at stake
