Awaking in New York is an emotional poem that talks about the world of urban life and the complex emotions connected with busy city life. It is an 11-line free verse poem that takes us to a feeling of dislocation that comes in a big city like New York. The poem is written by Maya Angelou, an acclaimed poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. Her works often reflect themes of identity, race, and survival. For those who wish to read an easy but profound poem, Awaking in New York by Maya Angelou is a must read.
Curtains forcing their will
against the wind,
children sleep,
exchanging dreams with
seraphim. The city
drags itself awake on
subway straps; and
I, an alarm, awake as a
rumor of war,
lie stretching into dawn,
unasked and unheeded.