Contests

Member-Only contests

Only members of PSC may submit to Member-Only Contests, which are held in September, November, January and March. Best of all First, Second, and Third Place winners of the Members-Only Contests of the year are eligible for the Daisie E. Robinson Sweepstakes which is announced each June.

Email submissions to:

jean@eccentricartsweb.com

Submissions may also be mailed to:

Jean Sidinger, 11973 E. Lake Circle, Greenwood Village, CO, 80111

Upcoming Contest Calendar

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information.

Contest Rules

Contest Rules:

Contest themes are not to be used as poem titles.
Poets must be a member of PSC to submit to Member-Only contests.
Poets must be at least 18 years of age to submit to the Open Contests.
Entry fee: $5/poem. Each poet may enter up to three original poems. No previously published work will be accepted.
All submissions must arrive by published submissions dates. Plan accordingly.
If a pen name or pseudonym is used, the author must also submit his/her legal or alternative name or the entry will be disqualified.
A single poet can win no more than two cash prizes for each contest.
A contest may be cancelled if fewer than ten poems are entered.
Submission of entries presumes permission for the name of the winner to be posted on the PSC website AND for winning entries to be anthologized in the yearly Poets' Showcase unless the contest director is notified otherwise in writing.
Poem submission line limit: 40 lines (unless otherwise stated)
SEE SUBMISSION INFORMATION BELOW!

Upcoming contest themes

Submission Information

Submission Requirements:

Proper submission form must be followed to qualify for contests.
Refer to the Contest Guides, as necessary, for each Open contest
Submit two typed copies of each poem on 8½ x 11-inch paper.
Use a 1-inch margin on all sides for each submission, including artwork.
In upper left-hand corner of first copy put "Poetry Society of Colorado" on first line; put name of contest and date on second line; put theme and form on third line. No name or address should appear on this copy.
In upper left-hand corner of second copy put the same information as on the first copy. In the upper right-hand corner of the second copy put your name on the first line, and address on the second and third lines. If a pen name/pseudonym is used, include legal name.
Enclose a check for the entry fee of $5.00 for each poem entered made payable to: Poetry Society of Colorado.
Send two copies of all entries to the appropriate contest director.
Entries must be postmarked or submitted at a Poetry Society meeting by the deadline date.
Winning entries, including honorable mentions, will be returned at a meeting or mailed to the winners. Winning and non-winning entries will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient first-class postage.
To best understand submission layout requirements, as stated in this section, please refer to the Contest Submission Example file below in the "Contest Must & Shoulds" section.

Upcoming contest themes

Past Contest Winners

Congratulations Contest Winners!

April 2023 Open Contest

Theme: Tanka

1 st Place Anticipation Cheryl L. Wilkie

2 nd Place *Sunshine so welcome Jean E. Sidinger

3 rd Place Healer Canna O’Carroll

1 st H.M. *I wait for your call Marcel A. Duclos

2 nd H.M. *Omnipotent oak Jean E. Sidinger

3 rd H.M. *Snowfall in April Cheryl L. Wilkie

February 2023 - Open Contest

Theme: Both Sides

1 st Place Ya Cain’t Have One Side “Thout the Other Cheryl Miller

2 nd Place In Memoriam Nancy Bierman

3 rd Place What I Want to Know Martin Postma

1 st HM How quietly we forget Charles Rakay

2 nd HM Pen Palinode Nancy Bierman

3 rd HM Pending Susan Harman

December 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Domestic Poetry

1 ST Pl. Goodbye Summer Pandora Wilson

2 nd Pl. Those Silent Walls Pandora Wilson

3 rd Pl. After the Argument Maura Schroeder

1 st hm. Fantasy Trenton Bobbitt

2 nd hm. *Mija, knife in hand Daniel Angel Martinez

3 rd hm. Domestic Heart Gay Williford

October 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Children's Poetry

1st Pl - Milkweed Morning, Melanie Eulberg

2nd Pl - Daddy Longlegs, Nancy Bierman

3rd Pl - Catawampus, Nancy Bierman

1st HM - The "See You in the Mornin’ at Breakfast” Rhyme, Cheryl Miller

2nd HM - Distant Visitor, Melanie Eulberg

3rd HM - A Tale of Two Tails, Cheryl Wilkie

August 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Animals

1st Pl - The Life of Daisy Dog, Martin J. Postma

2nd Pl - Found Him Sleeping, Pandora L. Wilson

3rd Pl - Alaska Wildlife Adventure, Nancy C. Bierman

1st HM - Song for Bonnie, Martin J. Postma

2nd HM - Meadow, Gloria J. Viglione

3rd HM - Lightning Bugs, Nancy C. Bierman

July 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Travels

1st Pl - Ghost Tour, Stina Branson

2nd Pl - Pearl, Trenton Bobbitt

3rd Pl - Traveled, Trenton Bobbitt

1st HM - Alone, Trenton Bobbitt

2nd HM - Rain on a Northbound Train, Martin J. Postma

3rd HM - In Remembrance of Holy Loch, Steve Gardner

June 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Time Gone By

1st Pl - What’s Between Us, Harriet Stratton

2nd Pl - After Grandma Died, Sarah Russell

3rd Pl - Petrification of the Past, Christina Grossman

1st HM - Her Real Name is Catherine, Charles RaKay

2nd HM - November, 1963 – Age 11, Melanie Eulberg

3rd HM - My Church in the Fifties, Marcel A. Duclos

May 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Optional

1st Pl - Grackles, Nancy Cummins Bierman

2nd Pl - On the Perception of Time, Olivia Rissland

3rd Pl - Listing, 5/14, Melanie Eulberg

1st HM - Who Am I, Susan Harman

2ND HM - BloodLine: Trilogy Pt. 3, Trenton Bobbitt

3rd HM - Doldrums, Nancy Cummins Bierman

April 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: A Part of Me

1st Pl - Private War, Martin J. Postma

2nd Pl - Distant Thoughts, Cheryl L. Wilkie

3rd Pl - Son Rise, Daniel A. Martinez

1st HM - Uncle Henry, Martin J. Postma

2nd HM - A Future Good To Build, Martin J. Postma

3rd HM - My Frizzy Childhood, Cheryl Miller

March 2022 - Members-Only Contest

Theme: Man with a Beard

1st Pl - Buenos Dias, Jean E Sidinger

2nd Pl - On Taste, Replaced, Olivia Rissland

3rd Pl - (Title not published), Susan Rocco-McKeel

1st HM - Unshaven for Too Long in Blue Hill, Maine, Marcel Duclos

2nd HM - Words for My Brother, Daniel Martinez

3rd HM - Lesson Learned, Marcel Duclos

February 2022 - Open Contest

Theme: Open

1st Place - Perspectives from Afar, Martin J. Postma

2nd Place - Drawing from Memory, Harriet Stratton

3rd Place - Getting Real, Marcel A. Duclos

1st HM - Invisible – Inaudible, Nancy C. Bierman

2nd HM - Winter Desserts, Gay Williford

3rd HM - I ran the day into being, Nancy C. Bierman

January 2022 - Members Only Contest

Theme: Only Once

1st Place - Clinician Remembers Her a Half Century Later, Marcel Duclos

2nd Place - Meeting Robert Kennedy, Melanie Eulberg

3rd Place - Being in the Moment, Cheryl Miller

1st HM - Expletives Deleted, Sarah Russell

2nd HM - The Fruit Vendor, Charles Rakay

3rd HM - The Times of Our Lives, Martin Postma

Poetry Society of Colorado - Contests

We believe that contests help foster artistic growth.
The Poetry Society of Colorado hosts a variety of member-only and open poetry contests throughout the year.

See contest rules and guidelines below.

For a full list of monthly contest themes and deadlines for entry, please see our calendar page.

Pay Contest Entry Fee

CONTEST - Prefer to mail a check?

Member-Only contests

Email submissions to:

jean@eccentricartsweb.com

Submissions may also be mailed to:

Jean Sidinger, 11973 E. Lake Circle, Greenwood Village, CO, 80111

Upcoming Contest Calendar

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information.

Open contests

Any adult poet may submit poems.

Email submissions to: poetrypostoffice@gmail.com

Submissions may also be mailed directly to:

Cheryl Wilkie, 8930 West 57th Avenue, Arvada, CO 80002

Upcoming contest calendar

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information!

Contest Rules

Contest Rules:

Upcoming contest themes

Submission Information

Submission Requirements:

Upcoming contest themes

Contest "Musts & Shoulds"

Prize Structure

Contest Prize Structure: (Unless otherwise stated)

Past Contest Winners

Congratulations Contest Winners!

Poetry Society of Colorado - Contests

We believe that contests help foster artistic growth. The Poetry Society of Colorado hosts a variety of member-only and open poetry contests throughout the year.

See contest rules and guidelines below.

For a full list of monthly contest themes and deadlines for entry, please see our calendar page.

Pay Contest Entry Fee

CONTEST - Prefer to mail a check?

Member-Only contests

Email submissions to:

jean@eccentricartsweb.com

Submissions may also be mailed to:

Jean Sidinger, 11973 E. Lake Circle, Greenwood Village, CO, 80111

Upcoming Contest Calendar

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information.

Open contests

Any adult poet may submit poems.

Email submissions to: poetrypostoffice@gmail.com

Submissions may also be mailed directly to:

Cheryl Wilkie, 8930 West 57th Avenue, Arvada, CO 80002

Upcoming contest calendar

Don't forget to refer to the contest rules and submission information!

Contest Rules

Contest Rules:

Upcoming contest themes

Submission Information

Submission Requirements:

Upcoming contest themes

Contest "Musts & Shoulds"

Prize Structure

Contest Prize Structure: (Unless otherwise stated)

Past Contest Winners

Congratulations Contest Winners!

We believe that contests help foster artistic growth.
The Poetry Society of Colorado hosts a variety of member-only and open poetry contests throughout the year.