A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays

by David Gate

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, rampant individualism, and loneliness.

yes, everyone is struggling right now
so please be gracious

be kind & patient, but subvert
every institution that relies on our suffering

Something isn’t right. Every generation thinks that, but we have more cause than most. The way our society has been constructed is just not good for our bodies, nor our minds, nor our hearts. What possible chance do our souls have?

Yet, amidst all of this, there is an unwavering desire to embrace life in all its facets. In his debut collection, popular Instagram writer David Gate inspires us to rally for what makes life worth creating art as a form of care, living beyond consumer impulse, loving our neighbors (even the weird ones), and more. This book invites readers to ponder the complexities of self, community, love, and resilience. 

Rejecting the notion that despair and positivity are our only available responses, Gate urges readers to foster deep friendships that challenge social orders and embrace questions of meaning and purpose. For, in his words, "saying something true in a world awash with lies is the first act of rebellion.

Genres: Poetry, Essays, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Spirituality, Adult, Christian

224 pages, Hardcover

Published July 15, 2025

Reviews

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an era where poetry often retreats into academic isolation or Instagram-friendly platitudes, David Gate emerges with something altogether more dangerous: a collection that dares to make poetry matter. A Rebellion of Care is Gate's debut offering, a sprawling manifesto disguised as verse that challenges readers to "radicalize us into a different kind of life—the kind of life you actually value most." This isn't poetry as decoration; it's poetry as demolition and reconstruction.

Gate, who began sharing his work on Instagram in 2021, has crafted a collection that spans ten thematic sections, each building toward his central thesis: that caring deeply in our current system is inherently subversive. The book reads like a fever dream of modern anxiety filtered through the lens of someone who refuses to accept that this is simply how things must be.

The Architecture of Awakening
Structural Brilliance and Thematic Unity

The collection's organization reveals Gate's strategic mind at work. Beginning with "A Rebellion of Care," which functions as both title section and mission statement, the book moves through increasingly personal territories before expanding back to systemic critique. The progression feels intentional and earned, moving from manifesto through the intimate spaces of body, friendship, and family, before confronting institutional failures and returning to a call for collective action.

Gate's "Manifesto for a Rebellion of Care" establishes the collection's ambitious scope with lines like "Make art & music / because music & art / are love letters to the living / addressed to us all." This isn't merely poetic sentiment; it's a blueprint for resistance against what he identifies as the dehumanizing effects of late-stage capitalism.

Language as Weapon and Balm

Gate's linguistic choices reflect his dual background in religious contexts and contemporary social media culture. He seamlessly weaves theological language with internet slang, creating a dialect that feels both ancient and urgently contemporary. When he writes "I cannot positive-mental-attitude myself into a more equitable society," he captures the exhaustion of individual solutions to systemic problems while maintaining the rhythmic intensity that makes his work so compelling.

The poet's voice shifts between prophetic declaration and intimate confession, sometimes within the same piece. In "Joy Is an Act of Rebellion," he moves from political analysis ("Though the system takes all it can / From our tired bodies") to spiritual proclamation ("It will never, not ever, / Ransack our hallelujahs") with a fluidity that suggests these aren't separate concerns but facets of the same struggle.

The Personal as Political Landscape
Bodies, Relationships, and Radical Acceptance

Gate's exploration of embodiment in the "Human Becoming" section demonstrates poetry's unique capacity to address the political through the personal. Rather than offering body-positive platitudes, he presents acceptance as a form of resistance against capitalist consumption of our insecurities. "Your body is more than gains / & losses / you are a whole being— / a poem / whose every word / makes meaning" transforms self-acceptance from self-help into social critique.

The friendship section, "Friendship Will Save Us," might be the collection's most radical proposition. Gate argues that chosen family and intentional community represent genuine alternatives to the nuclear family isolation that capitalism requires. His poem "Mutual Sanctuary" reframes vulnerability as strength: "make no attempt to get it together for me / we are together and that is all I need."

Masculinity Reimagined

In "I Must Also Feel It as a Man," Gate tackles masculine conditioning with particular insight. Drawing from Macduff's response to tragedy in Macbeth, he argues for emotional competence as revolutionary act. The section's exploration of male socialization feels both personal and analytical, suggesting that patriarchal emotional stunting serves systemic rather than individual interests.

Spiritual Rebellion and Institutional Critique
Faith Beyond Institution

Gate's wrestling with Christianity in "Haunted & Exhausted" represents some of the collection's most complex territory. As someone with pastoral experience, he writes from intimate knowledge of institutional religion's failures while maintaining connection to its transformative possibilities. His poem "White Jesus Must Die" exemplifies this tension: "kill that man dead / no comebacks" demonstrates his willingness to destroy false idols even within his own tradition.

The spiritual content never feels divorced from political analysis. Gate consistently connects personal faith practices with collective liberation, suggesting that genuine spirituality must address systemic injustice or risk becoming mere comfort for the comfortable.

Environmental and Economic Consciousness
Connecting Earth and Economy

Gate's environmental awareness emerges most clearly in "Soft Fascination," where he argues for attention to natural cycles as resistance to capitalist time. His exploration of seasonal eating and gardening connects individual practice with larger ecological consciousness without falling into lifestyle-solution thinking.

The economic critique throughout the collection avoids both despair and naive optimism. Gate acknowledges complicity while insisting on possibility: "While you cannot break a system on your own, you can certainly weaken it. You can pull at its seams."

Critical Considerations
Strengths and Limitations

Gate's strength lies in his ability to make abstract political concepts emotionally resonant without sacrificing intellectual rigor. His background in both religious and digital communities provides him with unusual linguistic resources and audience awareness.

However, the collection occasionally suffers from its own ambitions. Some pieces read more like social media posts than fully developed poems, and the Instagram aesthetic sometimes works against the deeper complexity Gate clearly possesses. Additionally, while his critique of capitalism is thorough, his alternatives sometimes remain more aspirational than practical.

The collection's length works both for and against it. The expansive scope allows for genuine development of themes, but some sections feel less essential than others. Gate's voice is strong enough to sustain the journey, but readers might find themselves wishing for more ruthless editing in places.

Verdict: Poetry as Praxis

A Rebellion of Care succeeds because it refuses to separate aesthetic achievement from political necessity. Gate has created a collection that functions both as literature and as blueprint, offering readers not just emotional catharsis but practical vision for different ways of being.

The book's greatest achievement might be its refusal of cynicism without embracing naivety. Gate acknowledges the depth of our current crises while insisting on the possibility of transformation through care. In our current moment of political despair and social isolation, this feels like both gift and necessity.

For readers seeking poetry that engages with our moment's particular anxieties and possibilities, A Rebellion of Care offers both mirror and map. Gate has written a debut that feels less like arrival than like invitation—an invitation to join a movement that begins with paying attention and ends with caring enough to change everything.

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have long looooved david gate's poetry on instagram, and was so thrilled to read his first print collection of work. first of all, the cover? stunning. truly art. the poems are a collection of david's best, many familiar to me from following him online for so long. his way of writing is very honest, frank, a bit punchy, timely, and really accessible. i hoped for a bit more curation and newness in this collection, and wish the essays would have been left out to let the poetry really shine on its own. i think a bit more polish, editing, and refinement would have benefitted this book, but i still really enjoyed it, and am grateful for the way david leans into the hard, messy, "controversial", political, and deeply human things of our time.

[Teodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

The beginning was great, but the ending left a weak impression.

The author tells us about self-acceptance, about caring for the environment, about nature, about love, about the joy of living and about never giving up on yourself.
Most of the book is excellently written, extremely high quality, which I really liked. Real problems are written very realistically.

However, the end of the book seems to be rushed and written like a simple brain-dump, not developed enough, which I didn't really like.

Overall, I give this book 3 stars.

[Maria Josefin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I always hate to give out low ratings, especially for poetry because it is such a personal thing. But it feels like the author was dared to add as many pop culture references and modern slang as possible. Unfortunately a whole lot of pages of nothing. Not for me at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the arc.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Converhent Books for providing me the ARC.

Holy shit.

Easily one of my favorite books of the year and one of my favorite poetry books of all time.

This was so beautiful, relatable, existential, cathartic, just AGH.

As a queer woman, hearing a Christian cis-man advocate for us???? Oh my GOD YES!!!

Please read this when it comes out. Pls

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives you permission to exist even in the hurt and confusion

[Margaret Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free review copy of A Rebellion of Care by David Gates from NetGalley. The publishers seemed to think that because I enjoyed poetry collections by other poets with strong social media followers, specifically Joy Sullivan's Instructions for Traveling West and Lyndsey Rush's A Bit Much, I would enjoy this one. Sadly, I really didn't.

In brief, Gates presents a collection of poems divided into almost a dozen chapters. Each chapter is preceded with a long essay that reads more like a blog post. The form varies a bit among the poems. Some are extraordinarily short. Some are nearly a page. He writes about raising a family, spirituality, and cultural concerns. I think in those ways the topic is somewhat similar to Sullivan’s and Rush’s. But there the similarities end.

I struggled with this collection for several reasons. First, there is no real variety in form in terms of stanza length. In fact, most of the poems ignore that aspect of structure. Because the structure doesn't vary at all (few couplets, one or two poems with quatrains, no use of caesura, etc.) it becomes monotonous reading. See "Sorry (Not Sorry)" and "Let Me Give You A Minute". Form could have enhanced a decent poem in this collection. I had to read many of these poems more than once and not in a savoring kind of way. When Gates does use structure, it produces some excellent poems. See "Pallbearing" for example. The variety in the alignment emphasizes the weight of the words. It's a very good poem. "Dependents" is another outstanding poem with real creativity and heartbreak. But those poems feel like exceptions, not examples. There aren't many of them in the collection.

Second, it's clear that there was next to no editing involved in these poems. For example, "Prisms” which has the line "We see each other clearer/And more beautiful than if.' There's no real reason why the grammatical mistakes in those lines couldn't have been corrected. In addition to grammar, a solid edit of the work could have enhanced the poems in terms of content. In "Where the Light is Good" editing could have corrected two lines ending in "us" which don't enhance the musicality of the poem but rather throw a big fork into them. The poems also use too often the "&". So much so that it becomes almost a verbal tick and takes the reader out of the poem. See "Old Layers," "The Font," and "Tell Me Again." I also found the lack of punctuation to be grating. Here or there it does add to the speed and velocity of a poem. But repeatedly avoiding punctuation for 100+ poems is like getting whiplash. See "The Cat Has Gone" and "Love is an Observable Phenomenon."

The titles of the poems are too often internet snappy and don't relate to the content or enhance it. In fact, a lot of the content of this collection feels like pop psychology. So much so that it feels like they've been written more for SEO purposes than for bringing companionship to the reader. See "The Variable" which includes poorly placed line breaks and discusses familial trauma and toxic pain. So too for "On Boundaries."

These were raw poems. Not in the sense of vulnerable or wounding the reader. They were raw in the sense of being unfinished. I kept reading and thinking, that's it? That's all? For example, in "I Told the Peonies About You", which is a strong poem which (again) could have benefited from a few rounds of editing (e.g., removing the last stanza). I think Gates references dashing poems into a Notes ap, which is common among poets as a way to capture good lines and good ideas. This is especially true for poets who are parents. I know many who do this. Maggie Smith has talked about using her Notes ap while stuck in traffic with her kids. And then she edits them. "Who Wears the Pants In Your Relationship."

Another reason I find this collection to be remarkably hard to read as a collection is the second person used in the poems. In Gates' poems, for example, "Michelangelo" he uses the second person as a directive "Being a parent/is the most creative calling on earth/so if you feel/like you have no energy or ideas/for anything else at all/it is because every single day/you are painting/a freakin' Sistine Chapel" (again, no punctuation). This is not a collaborative you. This is instructional, in a pop psychology kind of way. For contrast, Ross Gay's "Thank You" is full of second person references, but his work is collaborative. See the lines "you are the air of the now and gone, that says/all you love will turn to dust,/and will meet you there, do not/raise your fist. Do not raise/your small voice against it. And do not/take cover. Instead, curl your toes/into the grass, watch the cloud/ascending from your lips. Walk/through the garden's dormant splendor." Gates lacks this entirely. I think this is again a publisher issue, in that they should have considered the impact of the poems as a collection.

What I can’t understand is why there are so many poems in this book. The standard book of poetry is about 40 to 100 poems. That usually makes the book run around 100 pages. Sullivan's book was 135. Rush’s admittedly was longer. If a collection only needed to run 100 pages, why include the weaker poems, and so many of them. Why not cut the ones that needed more time to be polished and have a second collection? I truly cannot understand why a publisher who has produced works such as Black Liturgies and Universal Christ has allowed this mishmash to occur. I can only think that they are working on adding poets into their line of authors. The only other poet they seem to be working with is Victoria Hutchins, who is also an internet poet. This may be a miss on the publisher’s part in terms of knowing how to edit poems.

[Jillian Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. So poignant and beautiful. Lifted my spirits.

[Sarah Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today, I had coffee/breakfast in bed and read this entire book of poetry in one sitting 🥰

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hundred stars. Should be required reading for humanity.

[Emily Bowie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book off a recommendation from someone I really respect, and now I’m second guessing their taste.
The best I can describe this collection is it felt like what AI would write after trawling through internet fads and hopecore for 12hrs. I think it would do well with preteen/teenage readers because the takeaways are right in your face and there’s almost zero room for interpretation. The messages are good, it just was way too simplistic for me. I hate to be harsh on poetry as I think it is the most subjective form of written expression, but this collection was in no way written for me. And that’s okay!

[Coren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a stunning collection of work. Admittedly, poetry is my jam - this collection is no exception. I appreciate how accessible his works are (no deep analysis or interpretation needed) and yet how deeply they convey messages of truth, struggle, morality, nature, love, friendship. Have followed DG on Instagram for years, and was thrilled to have this collection.

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The team at Convergent Books reached out to me about reading David Gate's poetry and essay collection based on past reviews of their books. Which prompted me to take a look at which other books on my shelves were from the imprint. It reads as a list of my favorite spiritual books of the past few years. Convergent is becoming (has become?) my go-to for wise, compassionate, spiritual companionship. A Rebellion of Care carries on that tradition.

I've been following David Gates on Insta for a bit - I've even reposted a few of the poems to my private socials. I picked up the book as a fan and got a little thrill seeing my personal favorites in print. I love rooting for authors. Really - any creative. Kickstarter was created for people like me! I particularly like how the poetry in the book is organized into loose categories, each introduced by a personal essay. I wish more poetry collections followed this format. If you aren't familiar with Gates, this collection exists at the intersection of social justice and spirituality. I could see it being too progressive for some Jesus people and too Jesusy for some progressives. But also, there is a large group of us who have pitched our tents at this exact intersection. Thank you to the author, Convergent Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

[Selina⚔️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher, but this has in no way influenced my review. My thoughts are entirely unbiased and honest.)

A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays drew me in with its premise and cover.

However, I cannot believe this book is almost 200 pages long skdkdk

It would've resonated more and hit harder thematically if the editor and the author had chosen to include only specific works.

To be frank, the earlier chapters feel like they're pandering and trying too hard to be witty. It’s kind of cringe.

(Twerk of Art? Less radio, more head?)

(Are you okay?)

It’s painfully obvious that this was written by a straight white man but I do appreciate that he owns up to it, and, surprisingly, he's decent emotionally and mentally.

No regrets still in finishing this collection; the chapter about platonic love is heartwarming, and the poems regarding parental fears are brimming with emotion. I can also appreciate the sentiment about the hypocrisy of religion institutions.

Unfortunately, the majority of this book is... okay (absurd, sometimes)....

[McKenna Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨This book was filled with so many poem that are so relatable. Some of them made me have to stop reading so I could fully appreciate what the poem was saying. The author was able to express how he felt while also showing others that it is okay to feel that way. He incorporated humor in his poems which made it so enjoyable to read.

I had so many favorites and the ending was so perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry and even self care. ✨

[Diana (diana_reads_and_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is every poem in this book for me? No. But it’s five stars anyway because the overall message rhymes with all my heart is saying right now. I will rebel against this regime with my joy and my care for other people.

[Emily Robbian · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. I used to not be a poetry person. I think David Gate has changed that for me.

[Summer Connell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - I enjoyed this collection! It aligned with a lot of my own beliefs and it was nice to be able to relate to poetry on that level. I think my favorite parts of this collection were the intro passages to each section. They very eloquently explained what the section would be about and the authors stance on certain themes. Even though they were my favorite part, they usually went on for a little too long and would kind of lose my attention. They also tended to feel a bit soapbox-y by the end. I also think that several of the more simplistic poems could have been cut to make the collection feel stronger. Poems like “Sensitive Content” (*included below) felt lazy and not up to par with the rest of the poems/writing. I did overall really like this collection and I would read more from this author.

My favorite poems were:

- Waste Your Life
- Stardust
- Stay Weird
- Less Panic, More Disco!
- Terraform
- Good Skin (A Haiku)
- Heatwave
- Friendship Will Save Us
- Mutual Sanctuary
- Prisms
- I Hope This Finds You Well
- The Variable
- Cicadas
- Optimistic
- Made of Stone
- Flower Power
- They/Them
- Give Us Back Our Lives - so good! Very powerful and relatable!!

Fave quotes:

“It doesn’t have to be a heaven
nor an idyll or an Eden
it just has to be a tomorrow
your soft heart can believe in”

“To know the name of a thing is the first step toward caring for it, for we cannot protect what remains anonymous to us.”

“because the worst thing you can possibly wear is other people’s expectations”


*Sensitive Content

This poem may contain sensitive
content
It’s me.
I’m the sensitive content.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for the ARC :)

This is my first time reading David Gate's poetry and it reminded me of the first time I discovered the Instagram poetry community. I fell in love with poetry all over again, so thank you for that David.

What I enjoyed about "A Rebellion of Care" is the fact that it can be used as a guidebook to modern day living. It talks about life intertwined with nature, it speaks boldly about faith without being afraid of admitting how religion is not perfect, it talks about love and friendship, and the experiences of a Christian cis-man, and also politics. David Gate is loud and proud about where he stands in history and his poetry is unflinchingly transparent.

I also enjoyed the essays at the beginning of every section, giving us valuable advice, while providing a preview of what kind of poems we can expect.

If you are someone who finds poetry difficult to understand or interpret, I would definitely recommend Gate's book.

[Cassie (eclectically.bookish.cassie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

I've been following David Gate's work for several years on Instagram. His poetry is sparse and simple while profound. He explores everyday life, justice, home, and care for our fellow humans. I'm a fan. So when Convergent Books reached out with a digital review copy of this, of course I rushed to NetGalley to download it. Thank you!

This book contains much of Gate's poetry that I had already seen online, but I loved that they were collected in one place and divided into themed sections with an essay of introduction on each topic. Gate's words were at times challenging to my worldview, but in a way that was thought-provoking and poignant. If you've been a fan of any of his work before now, I highly recommend this. I'll certainly be getting a print copy for my shelves when it releases.

[Hannah Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first experience reading David Gate, and I enjoyed several poems. Though I will likely buy a copy, I'm not sure I would shelve it with poetry. It feels less like a collection where the poems work together to enhance the overall meaning and more like it belongs with the group of books that I will pick up every now and then to read a blurb or poem here and there. Hugh Prather came to mind almost immediately after I started reading this, and I really enjoy reading his works one blurb at a time.

On that note, one of my favorite poems was "Body Language."

"Whenever we divide our bodies
into what we like about them
and what we don't
we mutilate ourselves
you are not an inventory
of parts
in columns of pros
& cons
your body is more than gains
& losses
you are a whole being -
a poem
whose every word
makes meaning."

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning.

I’ve been reading David Gate’s words online for a long time now, so I had high hopes for this book. And somehow it was even better than I expected. This book is a beautifully organized brilliant collection of his words/stories/experiences. This writing is what the world needs. It's beautiful and complex. It gives words to pain and somehow also comforts. I thought it would be a book of poetry only, but was pleasantly surprised to find essays to go with the poetry.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can this be the playbook for my life? I loved this collection of poetry by David Gate so much I could scream! His words are so relevant and raw and true. I love how this collection focuses on taking care of one's self, as well as those around you. But self first. His words on God and religion spoke to me so deeply, as I often struggle to find the words to describe my beliefs. And cussing during prayer?! I've totally done that, too!
Thank you, NetGalley and David Gate and the publisher for this amazing creation and for the opportunity to read it.
It was incredible.

[Athena Wasko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely LOVED this poetry book. I laughed and cried and felt all the emotions, especially the ones relating to parenting. I was not sure what to expect but this turned out to be one of my favorite poetry books I have read so far. I will be recommending this to everyone.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chances are good you’ve read a David Gate poem on Instagram before. I loved listening to his British accent read me the verses he’s spun in A Rebellion of Care, his debut collection. It’s like the universe knew I needed a deep inhalation of a read like this in what always proves to be the busiest month of the year.

[Heather Blackerby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully raw. While I usually skip through poetry books, I read this one from start to finish and it did not disappoint. David’s way of seeing and articulating the world…thoughts on acceptance, love, community, caring for the earth, injustice…all of it…resonated deeply with my soul. I will surely be coming back to these poems for years to come.

[Tressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you, like me, have resonated with David Gate’s poetry, purchased hand-typed poems to decorate your home, gotten poems as gifts for friends and family, and shared them online, reading (and owning) this beautiful collection is the obvious next step. There are hard truths as well and it may even make you uncomfortable, but I see that as a positive thing, because I would rather be challenged to expand my horizons than stuck forever in the same place or mindset. I will reread this book over and over again and bookmark my favorites for rainy days or when I need a pep talk.

[Sidney Mendenhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 There were some poems I really enjoyed, especially those having to do with nature and seasons. Good message throughout the collection

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We have to build a new world while the old world decays"

Poetry good. Poetry meaningful. Poetry intellectual.

[Rachel (Kalanadi) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars