In "The Awakened Hours," poet Jason Dick takes us on a lyrical journey through four intertwined yet distinctly different emotional and intellectual perspectives: Contemplation, Dreaming Awake, Illumination, and Passion. From the cerebral and occasionally adamant verse of "Contemplation," to the introspective poems in "Dreaming Awake," Dick shares a common poetic thread among a myriad of themes, emotions, and poetic forms. "Illumination" and "Passion" introduce us to the poet's romantic side, with both nuanced and blatant references to unrequited love, lost love, and love in its most primal form. "The Awakened Hours" explores the full spectrum of human experience, from passionate, hungry love to deep, spiritual longing. Delving unabashedly into philosophy, relationships, sexuality, and surrealism, these poems will appeal to anyone searching for thought-provoking verse that is still meditative in nature. An experience that will remain with the reader long after the book has been closed and tucked away, "The Awakened Hours" represents a new awakening in American poetry.