2026 Rules, Guidelines, Prizes

Winning poems honor the theme, follow the guidelines, and speak from a place of authenticity. We are drawn to work that is intentional and imaginative—poems that breathe through personification, shimmer with alliteration, and unfold through figurative language, vivid imagery, and irony. Above all, we seek voices that approach their message with originality and insight, offering fresh, thought-provoking ways of seeing and saying what matters.

Theme

This year’s theme is “What We’re Carrying Now: We are seeking poems that center on personal loss, collective memory, survival, endurance, or the emotional weight of living in today’s social and political climate.

We are looking for writing that lingers and reminds us why poetry still matters. How have you been processing this moment in history? Bring us the weight you’ve been holding. Bring us the language that knows how to hold it.

How to Enter

Subscribe to the mailing list here if you have not already.
Read the rules and guidelines below.
Submit your poem before 6/1/26. Email your Word Doc or PDF to yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com.

Poets must be 18+ to enter.
All poetic forms are welcome.
The poem must be entirely original with no prior publication.
There is no fee to enter our contests, but you must be subscribed to the email list. If you are not subscribed, please do so here.
The poem must follow the yearly theme in some way.
All poems must be written in English.
If your home country is outside the US, cash prizes are only awarded to winning poets with active PayPal accounts.
Audio and video are allowed for creative freedom. However, audio and video must not be submitted without the written poem.
One poem per person is permitted.
Deadline: June 1, 2026.

Guidelines

PRIZES

Live Instagram Interview with Yecheilyah
Poetry Business Coaching with Poetry Business Institute/Network founder Christoph Jenkins
Winning poem published on The PBS Blog at thepbsblog.com
Social media promotion across all platforms
Unlimited bragging rights ;-)