by Gordon Gilbert
My eyes not closed
to all the colors of the rainbow;
this world is not just black and white
to men telling women how to live their lives;
they can’t even manage their own
to the rich getting richer;
the rest of us, poorer
to the racism everywhere;
how to some, others’ lives don’t matter
to the worship of the gun;
some even willing to sacrifice our children
to those who have the one, true religion;
they want to impose it on us all
to those who profit from these endless wars;
they are never the ones who fight them
My eyes have been opened
I see the world more clearly
as it is
not
as it never was
and so,
I say it proudly,
yeah,
I’m WOKE !
Gordon Gilbert is a writer of poetry and prose residing in NYC's west village. Actively involved in NYC spoken word events since 2008, he has also hosted programs celebrating the beat writers, several African American poets and other poets as well, including William Carlos Williams. During the pandemic, Gordon found solace and inspiration in long walks along the Hudson River.
