Frankly, readers, Sharon and I were flabbergasted and at the same time gratified that Streetlight Magazine received one-hundred and nine entries to this year’s Poetry Contest. Talk about (early) summer reading! The average number of entries for the last four years (2020-2023) is sixty-one.

I wonder why there were about three-quarters more poems this year than this average: we have added to the prize pot, have changed the time of year to open the submissions window, and we are beyond the angst of the pandemic panic. And maybe our reputation and readership are expanding. At any rate, we are totally pleased at the range of subjects addressed: from personal hardships and reminiscences, political screeds, observations/descriptions to some with philosophical gymnastics. Many used language to its fullest, boldest imagery, and stunning phrases.

There were many thought-provoking poems, many well-crafted (though very few were of traditional forms) and most encompassed contemporary life. There were a few of the fantasy genre or of historical mythology to keep us on our toes.

As we have stated before, between the two of us, each poem is read multiple times. Some perhaps nearly a dozen times. So it is with pleasure that we announce the outcome of our readings. We have been the receivers of all these ‘messages,’ sent out to the world.

We have tried to be culturally, socially, politically aware and as open to the intention, expression and art of each poem as possible. Many have expanded our knowledge and our own imaginative possibilities which can only be a good thing!

As you should realize, there are many fine poems among the submissions and just because yours was not selected does not mean that it does not have merit. Watch for the top poems that will be posted next quarter. We wish that each poem eventually finds a home. Some non-winner poems may eventually appear in Streetlight Magazine.

We have selected:

First Place: Olivia Stogner’s “The Land Where Horses Grow Tired of Running, Hadeel’s Story”

Second Place: Chibuike Ukah’s “My Sister’s Breakfast”

and we would like to mention two additional poems:

Tim Suermondt’s “It’s Done, Beautifully Again”

Deborah Corr’s The Red Onion.”

Frederick Wilbur received his BA from the University of Virginia and an MA from the University of Vermont. He has authored three books on architectural and decorative woodcarving. His two poetry collections are As Pus Floats the Splinter Out and Conjugation of Perhaps. His work has appeared in many print and on-line reviews including Shenandoah, The Atlanta Review, The Comstock Review, The Dalhousie Review, Rise Up Review, and Mojave River Review. He was awarded the Stephen Meats Award by Midwest Quarterly (2017).

Sharon Ackerman’s poems have been published in the Southern Humanities Review, Atlanta Review, Still: The Journal, Appalachian Places, Valparaiso Poetry Review, and many others. She has one poetry collection, Revised Light (Main Street Rag Publishers, 2021), and a second in the works. She is poetry editor for Streetlight Magazine.