Tag: poetry

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest: Semi-Finalists

There was not a single poem I did not personally enjoy.

Everyone contributed something distinct while also teaching us something.

The variety and ingenuity, from visual to audio, were incredible. I appreciate how everyone put their best foot forward. I thank you for participating and sharing your heart with us!

Without further delay, the poets who have made it into the semi-finals and will go on for a chance to win the cash prizes are as follows (in no particular order):

Her Journey to Joy
by Trevita Johnson

Hope Moon, Joyful Skies
by Arsenio M. Sorrell, aka Deep Thought the Lyricist

Joy in the Morning
by Lilanie, aka Kerece Williams

Echoes of Joy
by D.A. Springer

Parable of the Daughter
by Chérie J. Grant

Only three of these five will advance to the finals! That’s right. You are looking at your winners and don’t know it. And nope, they are not in order of placement for all you smart people, tee hee.

The ultimate announcement will be made on Thursday, January 2, 2025! Which of these dope poets made it to the top 3? Stick around and find out!

We pushed it back a day in case some of you return from travel.

As with each year, you can read the winning poems on this blog. We are also interviewing them live, so you don’t want to miss that!

In the meantime, please show these poets some love when you see the post, which goes live on my page shortly. View and follow @yecheilyah.

Be Sure to Visit Us on the Web and Stick Around for Details on Next Year’s Contest Theme and Dates!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Poetry Contest Gear and Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest this year. We will announce the semi-finalists on Friday, December 20, 2024.

In the meantime, the contest hoodies and t-shirts are now available on the website! Your support helps us keep this contest going year after year and keep it free to enter!

They are comfy, like a warm hug, and come in black and dark chocolate colors, with more to come. Sizes go up to 3XL.

The website also has a donation page if you are not interested in the gear but want to help.

SHOP YOUR POETRY CONTEST GEAR HERE

Support with a Donation Here

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest: Time is Running Out!

It is already November 17th!

This is your reminder to submit your poem on or before December 1st to participate in this year’s poetry contest and win cash prizes and promotions.

Your poem must focus on joy in some way and be in our inbox on or before the clock strikes midnight on December 1, 2024!

Email your poem to support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.

Tips for Submitting Video:

Now that the contest is in full swing, you might be wondering how to submit a video of you reciting your poem. As you might recall, we are accepting audio and video submissions. If you choose this, remember you still must send us the written version.

  • You can upload it to YouTube or Vimeo. Set it to private and send us the link.
  • You can send it via Google Drive to support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.
  • You can use Dropbox. I have created a temporary account for us under support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.
  • There is a website that makes uploading large files super easy. It is called We-Transfer, and it’s free to use. Here is the link: wetransfer.com. In the email space, put support@yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.
  • Another website that allows video files to be sent is Sharefile. Here is the link: www.sharefile.com

Note: Do not upload your video to Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook because there is no way to keep it private (even with a private account). This is a competition. We don’t want anyone’s poetry leaked until the contest ends and the winners are announced. After that, you are welcome to distribute your work far and wide! (This also helps to protect your intellectual property!)

For details on entering, please click the link below and share this with the poets you know!

Click Here For the Entry Rules and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

When Artists Go to Work

Toni Morrison

You don’t have to write a think piece today.

You don’t have to post a long, drawn-out social media thread about America’s sins.

You don’t have to debate and argue with people in the comments.

It might look like a gloomy day for some of you, but I want to remind you that Joy remains.

And do you want to know why Joy remains?

Other than you woke up this morning?

As Toni Morrison puts it, this is precisely the time when artists go to work!

“There is no time for despair. No time for pity. We speak. We write. We do language.” – Toni Morrison

This raw vulnerability many of you are feeling is precisely what you should put into the work.

Allow this emotion, good or bad, to bleed into one of the most potent poems you have ever penned.

Let it be the most profound and truthful piece you’ve ever written.

You don’t have to post it to social media, but write it down.

What I know of moments: They pass.

This historical moment will be written on the pages of history books, so what should you do?

Do what you’ve always done. Do the work.

As one woman put it on Facebook:

“You are awakening to the same country you fell asleep to. The very same country. Pull yourself together. And when you see me, do not ask me, ‘What do we do now?’ How do we get through the next four years?’ Some of my ancestors dealt with at least 400 years of this under worse conditions. Continue to do the good work. Continue to build bridges, not walls. Continue to lead with compassion. Continue the demanding work of liberation for all. Continue to dismantle systems. Continue to set the best example for your children.”

“Continue to be a vessel of nourishing Joy.”

– Venice Williams

Remember, we are accepting submissions for this year’s poetry contest on Joy from now through December 1st! Get started by subscribing at yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.

Click Here For the Entry Rules and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Pockets of Joy

She Wins Society, 2023

Last year, members of She Wins Society were surprised with awards in the mail honoring their contribution to the community. Imagine my excitement about getting Most Poetic Sister. Scrolling through pictures on my phone, this one stuck out as we prepare for our Conference and Awards Ceremony on November 9th!

It also revealed to me the role that photographs and images play in our joy.

Images are not only suitable for memories; they are silent whispers of time, capturing fleeting moments of joy and weaving stories without words. Pictures are pockets of bliss that freeze laughter and emotions we can experience whenever we look back at them. 

Sometimes, when I want to experience joy in a difficult moment, I look at snapshots of a happier time. Each frame holds a fragment of elation, and in their stillness, they evoke the essence of joyful energy. 

Remember, we are accepting submissions for this year’s poetry contest on Joy from now through December 1st! Get started by subscribing at yecheilyahsannualpoetrycontest.org.

Click Here For the Entry Rules and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Yecheilyah’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest: Open for Submissions

Poetry Business Network Meeting in Atlanta this Weekend

I had an amazing time this weekend at the first in-person Poetry Business Network meeting in Atlanta. As I told my email list folks, it was refreshing to fellowship with people in person and to glean from the wisdom of legendary poets like Georgia Me (Def Poetry Jam), Rewop (who I met at the Poet Life Fest in 2022), and Taalam Acey.

The passion everyone displayed was empowering and helpful in motivating me to rescue my pen from the shadows and immerse myself deeper into Atlanta’s vibrant poetry community. Listening to these poets made me realize there is a lot I don’t know and helped me to understand the importance of knowing the individuals and the history of those who contributed to the development of the craft. It is not just about the writing. Studying the industry that houses these arts and their role in our evolution is also equally important. Imagine saying you are a poet and not knowing Gwendolyn Brooks or Maya Angelou.

It helps to sharpen your writing skills when you know more about your topics and community.

That said, I am excited to announce this year’s poetry contest is now open to accepting submissions!

You will have until December 1, 2024, to submit your poem. Our theme this year is Joy, and we will award our three finalists with cash prizes ranging from $50 to $150! For details on entering, please click on the link below, and be sure to share this with the poets you know!

Click Here For the Entry Rules, and Guidelines

If you would like to support our poets with a donation, you may do so by clicking on the website’s donation page here.

Hope to see you soon!

Yecheilyah’s 1st Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2017

Yecheilyah’s 2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2018

Yecheilyah’s 3rd Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2019

Yecheilyah’s 4th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2021

Yecheilyah’s 5th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2022

Yecheilyah’s 6th Annual Poetry Contest Winners, 2023

Why Not Joy?

Spent time with these cuties this weekend!


Why write poems about joy in such a time as this?

This has been a constant question in the back of my mind. It is not something anyone has asked of me personally, but something that the subconscious, always overthinking part of my brain asks when it wishes to second-guess itself. And, in the rebuke of these thoughts, I answer:

“Why not joy?”

I do not mean always being happy when discussing cultivating a spirit of joy. No one is always joyful in the basic sense of the word. I do not mean toxic positivity or whatever that’s supposed to mean.

In the same way that we embrace anger, grief, and frustration (which are normal and have their place), we can also embrace more joy and gratitude. If sadness and depression suck our bones dry and drain our life force, then joy and gratitude can be a powerful life-saving nourishment.

As I’ve said in Black Joy: “Nobody talks about society’s addiction to Black trauma / how much more profitable it is to talk about pain than poems/depression than joy.”

This constant cycle of death and war is draining to the soul and rotten to the bones. Where do we find or hold onto our sanity without joy? Have we forgotten that it has always been here with us? If enslaved people found joy, why not us? Or do we believe we are that special of a generation that we can survive without it?

In “The Role of Joy and Imagination in a Revolution,” author Marii Herlinger writes: “White supremacy culture values objectivity, overworking, and neglecting self-care — joy interrupts that. White supremacy culture teaches us to be individualistic, self-serving, and distrustful of each other — love interrupts that. Therefore, joy, imagination and love are revolutionary tools which actively defy capitalism and white supremacy.”

Sounds like a page out of Tricia Hersey’s book!

Speaking of Hersey, in the same way that resting more does not make one lazy, nor is it the same thing as being idle (you can be well-rested and still do the work), more joy does not make one blind to the atrocities of the world. On the contrary, it can help one to see things more clearly by stepping outside of the chaos. As Jaiya John puts it, “It can be a revolutionary act of love for yourself and others to not let yourself be sped up by the pace of a toxic, anxious, frantic, desperate, traumatized culture. Stay slow, my friend. Everything beautiful in you is gestating.”

This year, our poetry contest theme is joy, so I want to give you more to consider as you pen your entry!

The Latin word for Joy is gaudium, meaning to rejoice. Think of a time when you found joy in the unexpected. How did that make you feel? In what ways did you rejoice?

I cannot wait to read/hear your masterpiece!

We accept entries from October 21st through December 1st!

PS. I just found out this blog has been listed among Feedspot’s 30 Best Self-Help Book Blogs and Websites of 2024! Thank ya’ll for rocking with me!