We were honored to premiere a new work with lyrics by Colorado Poet Laureate Bobby LeFebre at our Harmony of Children concert on May 7, 2022. Not only are the lyrics composed by Bobby, but the poem was written after he met with each of our choirs virtually during the 2020-2021 school year.
During that year of virtual choir, he “zoomed” in with each group in order to recite poetry, give some perspective on the importance of the arts in our lives, and also hear student poetry. He also shared how he too had participated in choral programs and musical theater while growing up in Denver.
At the end of the meetings, Bobby took time to review some responses to a survey answered by choir members. Questions included “what are you struggling with?” and “what are you proud of?” and “how does singing make you feel?” The end result is a poem “We are the ones” that reflects the positivity, dedication, and potential in each of our singers.
We Are The Ones
Poem by Bobby LeFebre, Colorado Poet Laureate
Choral composition by Katie Sakanai, Denver Children’s Choir
Piano realization by Tony Domenick
This morning
as the sun awoke
it stretched its arms across the sky
I opened my heart –
the sound of ambition
vivid like imagination
dancing in my mind
For what is future– potential
what is hereafter – a promise
what is a vision – a purpose
in my mind?
We are the ones we have been waiting for
We are the ones with fire in our eyes
We are the ones with hope strapped to our dreams
We are the ones, we are the ones
This morning
As the world spins
We are planting seeds of joy
We too are the light
fireflies of midnight
if only they saw our brilliance
if they saw our shine
If you would listen – then you’d hear
If you would notice – then you’d see
If you could open your heart to
what we know
We are the ones we have been waiting for
We are the ones with fire in our eyes
We are the ones with hope strapped to our dreams
We are the ones, we are the ones
Yesterday’s road was hard
A hill we had to climb
We lost a lot along the way
But we can see tomorrow smiling in our hearts
A star in a clear dark sky
A flower growing ever toward the light
We are the ones we have been waiting for
We are the ones with fire in our eyes
We are the ones with hope strapped to our dreams
We are the ones, we are the ones
About Bobby
Bobby LeFebre is an award-winning writer, performer and cultural worker fusing a non-traditional multi-hyphenated professional identity to imagine new realities, empower communities, advance arts and culture, and serve as an agent of provocation, transformation, equity and social change. LeFebre’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Guardian, American Theater Magazine, NPR, and Poets.Org. In 2019, LeFebre was named Colorado’s 8th Poet Laureate, making him the youngest and first person of color to be appointed to the position in its 100-year history. LeFebre was named a National Catalyst for Change Fellow in 2020 and an Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellow in 2021. LeFebre holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Metropolitan University of Denver and a master’s degree in Art, Literature and Culture from the University of Denver.
