Constitution Poetry Contest 2026
Ends on
Submission Guidelines for the Constitution Poetry Contest.
This is part of Michigan Writers' effort to create a literary response to the 250th anniversary of the United States. This contest is an outcome of our Copy the Constitution project. All poems must relate to the Constitution, through rants, raves, praise, commentary, concerns, etc. that speak specifically to some part of or the entire Constitution and that offers interaction with our US Constitution.
We're open to all styles of poetry in free verse and traditional forms and all aesthetics.
Poems may not exceed 40 lines. Submit one poem as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf document. Submissions containing more than one poem will be declined unread. Single-space poems and format them as you would like them to appear. Use a clear, readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman. Please do not enclose any photos or illustrations with your submission.
This is a blind contest, so please do not include your name or contact information on the poem. Include your contact details in the cover letter or submission form only.
Judging process. The submissions are screened by a group of published writers, and then forwarded to a final judge for selection. A winner and 2 finalists will be chosen. These poets will be invited to read the poems at the July general meeting. The winner will be published in the Dunes Review.
We do not accept previously published work. (We consider self-published work that's publicly accessible without a log-in, such as on a blog or Facebook, to be published.)
Submitting your work is an affirmation that you are the original author and that you retain the rights to your work. You are also affirming that you have not used Artificial Intelligence to produce your work. Include a cover letter in the cover-letter section with your contact information, poem title, and a bio of 50 words or less, written in the third person. Simultaneous submissions are fine. Please leave a note in Submittable if any of your work is accepted elsewhere. Please don't wait until the last minute to submit. Our submission window is set up for May 1 to July 4, 2026, but it will close when we have reached our submission limit--and that may be before July 4.
We look forward to reading your work! We aim to respond within 45-60 days. You may send work only ONCE per reading period, including withdrawn submissions. Excess submissions and those not following our guidelines will be declined unread.