poem of the day 06.09.16

the poetry journals

only want poems that are thirty lines long

and they don’t feel bad

that you’ve spent twenty minutes

trying to find five good ones all for naught

it’s thirty lines or bust, asshole

the poetry journals are running a contest

twenty bucks for the pleasure of reading your work

but the commentary and ridicule is free

they only want poems that are one page long

for their themed issue about the abuses

of elephants in the ivory trade

ONLY poems about this theme will be accepted at this time

still…make sure the poems are under thirty lines long

forty lines about the elephant ivory trade are ten lines too many

the poetry journals aren’t reading again until july

or august or september or after the winter solstice

or they’re taking off until next year

so that staff can all concentrate on their long gestating novels

the theme for this issue is light

any poems about light will work

except for poems about actual light

please save those for their fall themed issue on actuality

or interpretations of actuality: actuality in the balance

the poetry journals are doing an all-women issue

but only women over thirty and only black women

but only black women from the continent of africa

if you’re a black women from the caribbean

please read the guidelines for next winter’s

caribbean women only issue

which is only open, of course, to women from the islands

but only those who are under the age of thirty

the poetry journals don’t want poetry with cursing in them

or overtly sexual and/or sexist themes

or poems that are pro-ivory trade

nothing too political and nothing too non-political

no bukowski-male-white-poet wannabees

the poetry journals want poetry that wows them

the kind of writing that makes them take a step back

and reevaluate their whole existence

they want poems with the power to change the world

or at least kick the asses of the ten people who read their rag

they want poetry that makes them feel alive

so send them your best

only no rhyming poems please.