Eyes wide, scrolling through the world,
nodding at outrage, liking outrage,
quoting wisdom that isn’t theirs—
but forgetting the reflection in the mirror.
They shout of systems, of power,
of justice, of wrongs unrighted,
yet trip over their own crumbs,
blind to the mess beneath their feet.
They sip their fair-trade coffee,
wear their slogans like armor,
and call themselves awake
while sleep lingers in their bones.
A voice whispers, soft as guilt:
“Woke is easy. Awake is hard.”
But the meme, the post, the performative flare
drowns out the simple truth of presence.
Perhaps one day the mirror will break,
and they’ll see: the world outside
cannot be mended
until the world within opens its eyes.
-
Author:
Matthew R. Callies (
Offline) - Published: February 8th, 2026 08:49
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 12
- Users favorite of this poem: Demar Desu, Tristan Robert Lange
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Comments4
A voice whispers, soft as guilt:
“Woke is easy. Awake is hard.”
Damn what a room shaker of a line, absolutely brilliant poem
Matthew, this lands cleanly. It doesn’t reject awareness…it challenges complacency. That tension between posture and practice is handled with clarity and restraint. Well done, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
A great message sent in the last two lines of the poem. Nicely said
Two terms which deserve more open debate are ‘woke’ and ‘politically correct’. You’ve certainly had a red hot go with the first, but the same questions can be directed at both where context counts, ie “Who is saying what to whom, when, why and to what effect?”
Found your piece here an enjoyable and stimulating read.
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