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Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest 2018: Rules, Guidelines, Entrance and Prizes
Yess people! It’s that time! Time to reveal the guidelines to this year’s contest and our amazing prizes! Read on…
Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest 2018
Theme: Self-Care, Self-Love – Our theme this year is on self-care and self-love!
Submissions Accepted: Thursday, July 12th – Tuesday, July 31st
Winners Announced: Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Guidelines
- The poems submitted must be original work. This means that the poems must be written by you. If we find a poem that resembles any previously published poem in any way that poet will be disqualified from the competition. Poems must be your own work.
- The poem must not be previously published in a book or anywhere online (including your blog)
- The contest will be judged based on writing, style and how closely the poem adheres to the theme.
- We are judges of the competition only. All poets are welcomed to enter regardless of race, religion, political views or location. All poems must be written in English and there will be no shipments outside of the U.S. In the event a poet wins this competition and their residence is outside of the U.S., any prize requiring shipping (if any) will be awarded in digital form. Ex. Ebooks instead of paperbacks.
- All poets must be at least 18 years of age to submit.
- There are no entry fees for this competition except to subscribe to Yecheilyah’s email list HERE. Anyone who subscribes only to unsubscribe before the competition is complete (any time before the winners are announced) will be disqualified for the win. Any subscription that has not been made before 11:59 EST on July 31st will be disqualified.
- Authors of the winning poems grant Yecheilyah of The PBS Blog and Literary Korner Publishing the right to publish the poems on her blog located at www.thepbsblog.com as the winning poem. Permission is granted upon entry of the contest for publishing to The PBS Blog. The poets retain all rights and copyrights of their own work.
- Upon submission, poets grant Yecheilyah of The PBS Blog and Literary Korner Publishing the right to publish the poem in the Literary Korner Publishing’s debut online magazine. The poets retain all rights and copyrights of their own work.
- Multiple entries to this contest are allowed but it will not increase your chances of winning any more than someone with a single entry. All entries will be judged individually without regard to person or numbers of entries. (If submitting multiple poems there is a 3 poem max.)
- Entry is taken as acceptance of ALL of these guidelines.
Submission Instructions:
- Click on THIS link and subscribe to Yecheilyah’s email list. This will automatically give us your name and email address. Be sure to confirm your subscription is due to this contest by checking ‘yes’ next to “Is this a poetry contest entry?” on the form. *If you are already subscribed to my list you are halfway there!*
- Once you’ve subscribed to the list, please send your poem(s) to yecheilyah@yecheilyahysrayl.com.
- Both of the above steps are needed for a poem to be considered submitted.
- Submissions are accepted July 12th through July 31st 2018.
- Winners are announced August 22, 2018 on The PBS Blog and across social media.
Prizes:
The grand prize winner of this contest will receive:
- One $50 Amazon Giftcard (this will be a hardcopy gift card mailed to the winner within the U.S. Winners outside the U.S. will receive an ecard)
- Signed paperback copy of I am Soul poetry book by Yecheilyah Ysrayl (Winners outside the U.S. will receive a digital copy of this book)
- 1 Writing Journal and pen to encourage your writing journey!
- Front page feature and publication to Literary Korner Publishing’s exclusive online magazine designed specifically for this contest, debuting August, 2018.
- Promotion on The PBS Blog and social media (over 700+views weekly, 3,000 views monthly)
Runner-ups!
We will be choosing some runner-ups!
- A chance to win a copy of The Unhappy Wife and Daddy: Reflections of Father-Daughter Relationships by Dr. K.E. Garland
- A chance to win a copy of The Settle-Free Dating Method by Tinzley Bradford
- Publication in our debut online Magazine
- Publication on The PBS Blog
All Entrants
All entrants have the opportunity to be featured in our first online magazine publication designed specifically for this contest so put forth your best! Only a select few will be chosen!
Don’t forget to support the contributors to this year’s contest.
Follow Tehilayah’s Blog HERE
Follow Lisa’s Blog HERE
Follow Kathy’s Blog HERE
Follow Tinzley’s Blog HERE
These rules will be re-posted again as we get closer to the contest so go ahead and write those poems!
Also, a video explaining these rules will be soon posted to my Facebook page HERE. Check back periodically.
When the World Loves You
I hate to have to be the one to tell you this
after all, you woke up today optimistic
and here I am
feeding you words that I know you do not want to hear
but I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t tell you the truth
about how the world loves you.
The world will love you
only after the soil hugs your flesh
when the breath leaves your body for that place it will now call home
the world will bring you home
on the backs of T-Shirts
and tattoos that kiss cuzo’s flesh
in a frame on grandmother’s wall
and in museums
popularize your name in a post
speak to you in a language that you will never understand
and in a voice that you will never hear
the world will love you
later
after the fact
like they did messiah
on their living room walls
force a crown of thorns around your head
sacrifice your body to social media
hang you
on their Facebook walls
hashtag your legacy
in cyberspace
they will celebrate you
like they never even did at birth
I warn you
they will throw you parties
bigger than anything your eyes could behold
hold you
in their memories like a nightmare
from which they cannot awake
you will haunt them
and they will love it
the world will love you in caskets
and in prayers
tell you secrets in the grave
they will confide in you
like a man to a woman’s hips
when the world loves you back
it is in flowers
and candlelight vigils
it is in marches, street corners, and pictures
the world will love you in laughter
and in memorials
in memory and regret
and I apologize that I have to be the one to tell you this
after all, you woke up today optimistic
but I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t tell you the truth
about how the world loves you
only in death.
This poem is inspired by “When the Hood Loves You Back” by Steven Willis. You can watch the video to my poem below. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel for notifications of more poems.
The Journey Begins
Be sure to Follow Tehilayah’s new blog! Tehilayah is an inspiring author and poet working on her first book. She is also a contributor to my 2nd Annual Poetry contest!
Thanks for joining me.
Like any journey there are uncertainties. But how would we know what the journey holds if we do not at least try to experience it. Introductions are always awkward and sometimes uneasy so we will just jump into it.
My name is Tehilayah (pronounced, Te-hil -la -yah). Simple right? My name means, “Song of Praise to Yah”. Can you believe that I like singing. Yes, I sing everything. I make everything a song. For example, I sang instructions to my children to get ready for bed. Yes, there was a whole song. I personally thought it was cool but the look on my children’s faces said otherwise. It’s the side of me that’s goofy and carefree. I am a wife to an amazing and supportive man who pushes me to step out my comfort zones. Sometimes I can be a bit stubborn but I…
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YouTube: New Poems Added! Subscribe Today #NationalPoetryMonth #Poetry #SpokenWord
New poems have been added people! Listen to Her Bended Knee, Truth, I Was Not There and more!
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!!
Her Bended Knee
Once a mother
always is
they bend their knees
to raise our kids
they laugh for our broken
as if never have cried, for our burden they soothe
as if our souls had died
they coddle our demons on the top of their heads
—colored gray with grief
fake smiles
and gritted teeth
a generation held together
by tiny pieces of silver string
those grayish-white pieces of hair
prophesy of her bended knees
their bodies ache
due our trials and needs
our depression states
our miscarried dreams
all have a home on the top of mother’s head
our souls they touch
our bull they fed
can’t wash the stench
of our almost dead
but they straighten their backs
and lift their chin
throw on their head
our hopes and sins
and at night
when we run the streets
and sleep in sheets
they bend their knee
and cry to sleep
and then wake up
all smiles and grace
let us never see tears run down their face
instead, see your life on your mother’s head
the next time you see those
grayish-whites
just know that someone prays for you at night
no tears be seen
all frowns be gone
just bended knees
and prayer songs
Mother to Son | Langston Hughes
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
– Langston Hughes
