Poems for the Heartsick and Hopeful
A Review of
A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays
David Gate
Hardcover: Convergent, 2025
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Reviewed by Byrnese Craig
A Rebellion of Care by David Gate, is a poetry collection for those who are heartsick over the fracturing of communities, but who still hold onto hope that a better world is possible. Released in July 2025, Gate’s debut work is described by the publisher as a “moving manifesto in poems and essays, inviting readers to embrace their humanity and live fully alive in our age of social change, hyper-capitalism, and pervasive loneliness.”
Relatable, accessible, and down to earth, A Rebellion of Care invites the reader to surrender their notions about the divisions between sacred and secular. With poems like ‘Holy Mother’ reflecting on the powerful experience of witnessing childbirth alongside others such as ‘Swear Jar’, Gate challenges his audience to consider a more expansive practice of faith, one that makes room for angst alongside hope, and disappointment alongside desire. No previous experience with poetry is needed to enjoy this collection, and followers of Gate’s Instagram page will appreciate his characteristic pop poetry style.
Perhaps the strongest pieces in this collection revolve around Gate’s experiences of life, love and faith within his community. The book is ultimately a summons to a counter-cultural way of living in fellowship with family whether they are found or biological. There are poems which celebrate the intoxicating joy of knowing and being deeply known (‘So No One Told You Life Was Gonna Be This Way’, ‘Mutual Sanctuary’) poems that celebrate romantic love and longing (‘Love is an Observable Phenomenon’ and ‘I Told the Peonies About You’) and pieces about the tremendous gift and challenge of raising children (including ‘Dependents’). These poems explore the profound experience of life lived in relationship with the moments of triumph and challenge, especially as many American readers may have experienced growing rifts and division within their family systems.
Readers looking for hope, commiseration, and inspiration may find a faithful companion here. A Rebellion of Care is a rallying cry for those worn thin by the never-ending bad news cycle who want to begin to build better relationships, better communities, and ultimately a more caring world. In Gate’s own words, “We have to build a new world while the old one decays – catching whoever we can and sparing as much of the earth as we are able.”
As a senior living chaplain, I have found this book to be a useful resource. I’ve read selected poems for groups and offered them as an invitation to reflect and respond, and my community members have offered very positive feedback. I believe that campus chaplains, spiritual directors, and pastors, as well as lay readers could find Gate’s book a helpful companion on their journey of faith. Fans of author and artist Scott Erickson in particular will appreciate not only the book’s content, but its occasionally irreverent language or humor. A Rebellion of Care would make a great gift for a young and thoughtful person in your life, or any friend who is struggling with the news, looking for a reminder of the hope that we can embody and access. Inspiring and very share-able, this collection of poems may just tip the scales and help you embrace care and action as part of the antidote to isolation in your own life.
Byrnese Craig
Byrnese Craig is a wife and mother of four serving in ministry with the Moravian Church in Eastern Pennsylvania. A sewist and maker, she shares her creative projects and writing online at her Substack,Sourdough and Sacrament.
 Reading for the Common Good From ERB Editor Christopher Smith "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities and the life of the church." -Karen Swallow Prior Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter & download your FREE copy of this ebook! |
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