Upon Waking: 58 Voices Speaking Out From the Shadow of Abuse

“Upon Waking: 58 Voices Speaking Out From the Shadow of Abuse" is the culmination of the Let’s Talk About It! Poetry Project created by Annette Gagliardi and Laura Kozy Lanik and represents the work of 58 poets from around the state and the country and Canada.


Whether we have had first hand experiences or not, the subject of abuse shapes the world we are in. It is our hope that the many victims of abuse can find solace within these pages or that their voice is echoed in one or more of these poems. 


Even if you are not a victim of abuse, these poems help us become more aware of the atrocities, told and untold, that happen daily and make us more empathetic to the long healing process of survivors.