Cat. 1 FSPA FREE VERSE AWARD
1st: Mary Rogers-Grantham — One Hundred and Thirty Six
2nd: Judith Krum — Ode to Key Lime Pie
3rd: Sara Gipson — Lost Photograph
1 hm: Jan Hoag Hitchcock — The Flowering
2 hm: Marc Davidson — Life is Like That, Sometimes
3 hm: Michele Cuomo — Crone Poem
Cat. 2 FSPA FORMAL VERSE AWARD
1st: Holly Mandelkern — Donne’s Time and Our Time
2nd: Diane Neff — Winter Solstice at the Pub
3rd: Jan Hoag Hitchcock — Restless Spirit
1 hm: Shutta Crum — One Winter’s Day
2 hm: Stephen Stokes — Love Sonnet on a Restaurant Napkin
3 hm: Mark Andrew James Terry — Ten Arrows
Cat. 3 THE LIVE POETS SOCIETY AWARD
1st: Stephen Stokes — Dry Run
2nd: Barbara Blanks — Route 77 to Globe
3rd: Tanya R. Whitney — Caramel Oblivion
1 hm: Peter M. Gordon — Sober Six Weeks
2 hm: Gary Ketchum — Widow’s Watch
3 hm Tim Schultz — Graveside Vigil
Cat. 4 TOMOKA POETS AWARD
1st: Marc Davidson — Ecclesia in Litore
2nd: Joyce Shiver — Swimming in Lake Superior
3rd: Jerri Hardesty — Shoreline at Night
1 hm: Lorraine Jeffery — Beach Party Pantoum
2 hm: Robyn Weinbaum — Coney Island Surf
3 hm: Catherine Moran — Twilight at the Beach
Cat. 5 WILLARD B. FOSTER MEMORIAL AWARD
1st: Sara Gipson — Soup Kitchen
2nd: Barbara Blanks — Up before the Sun
3rd: Cheryl A. Van Beek — (untitled haiku)
1 hm: Janet Watson — Bread
2 hm: Stephen Stokes — Warmed by Food
3 hm: Jerri Hardesty — Manna
Cat. 6 THE RONDEAU AWARD
1st: Joyce Shiver — Mother’s Motto
2nd: Jerri Hardesty — Just Show Your Love
3rd: Diane Neff — Fill Your Heart
1 hm: Suzanne S. Austin-Hill — The Re-Post
2 hm: Sara Gipson — Choosing a Kindness Act
3 hm: Judith Krum — For Kindness Sake
Cat. 7 JUNE OWENS MEMORIAL AWARD
1st: Robyn Weinbaum — Chris Dance
2nd: Lorraine Jeffery Orem — Next Gen Storm Dance
3rd: Janet Watson — Learning to Tango
1 hm: Suzanne S. Austin-Hill — She Wasn’t No Misty Copeland
2 hm: Barbara Blanks — October Shines
3 hm: Holly Mandelkern — Dancing with the Stars
Cat. 8 THE POET’S VISION AWARD
1st: Joanne Vandegrift — The Reverend Sandhill Crane
2nd: Pat Bonner Milone — Vultures (Tanka)
3rd: Susan Stahr — The Banister
1 hm: Jerri Hardesty — Clown Care
2 hm: Janet Watson — Fruit of the Tree
3 hm: Lynn Schiffhorst — Two Stately Homes in Wiltshire, England
4 hm: Howard Moon — White Man’s God
5 hm: Beverly Smith-Tillery — The Long Long Road
Cat. 9 NEW RIVER POETS AWARD
1st: Beverly Smith-Tillery— Broken Promises
2nd: Ellen Nielsen — For Robert Blenheim
3rd: Lynn Schiffhorst —The Bell Ringer’s Rhyme
1 hm: Ann Favreau — Loneliness
2 hm: Elaine Person — I Have Never Been Old Before
3 hm: Joanne Vandegrift — Perfect Memory
Cat. 10 ALFRED VON BROKOPH AWARD
1st: Stephen Stokes — Your Body’s Footprint
2nd: Beth Staas — A Summer Romance
3rd: Shutta Crum — Of Sex and Socks
1 hm: Katherine D. Moshman— September in the National Gallery
2 hm: Shani Naeema — My Addiction
3 hm Marc Davidson — Symbolists 1 – Lovers 0
Cat. 11 HOWARD & SANDY GORDON MEMORIAL AWARD
1st: Diane Neff — Mothering
2nd: Shutta Crum — Things Done Wrong
3rd: Cheryl A. Van Beek — Mother of Pearl
1 hm: Nick Sweet — My Grandpa’s Woodpile
2 hm: Holly Mandelkern — Digging for Gold
3 hm: Sandra Vaisnoras — First Moments
4 hm: Howard Moon— Remembering Grandfather
Cat. 12 JANET BINKLEY ERWIN MEMORIAL AWARD
1st: Shutta Crum — The Cat and I Look for Poems
2nd: Chris Kastle — Greeting
3rd: Sara Gipson — A Sense of Summer Scents
1 hm: Robert V. Davis — Endure
2 hm: Lynn Schiffhorst — Growing Up in a City
3 hm: Beverly A. Joyce — Our Gathering Place
Cat. 13 NOAH WEBSTER AWARD
1st: Catherine Moran — Looking at the Memorabilia
2nd: Judith Krum — Dactyliography
3rd: Cheryl A. Van Beek — Night Lights
1 hm: Beverly A. Joyce —L Responsibility
2 hm: Joyce Shiver — Impossibilities
3 hm: Barbara Blanks — Psychotherapeutically Speaking
Cat. 14 KATE KENNEDY MEMORIAL AWARD
1st: Steven Leitch — I Hate Chocolate
2nd: Janet Watson — Fighting a Cold War
3rd: Peter M. Gordon — Two Scoops Chocolate Ice Cream…
1 hm: Robyn Weinbaum — Ganache
2 hm: Susan Stahr — Chocolate
3 hm: Stephen Stokes — The Flavor of a Square
Cat. 15 HENRIETTA & MARK KROAH FOUNDERS AWARD
1st Carolynn J. Scully — Daddy-Daughter Dance
2nd Mark Andrew James Terry — (a senryu)
3rd Nancy H. MacInnes — First Year
1 hm Janet Watson — Why I Always Cry At Weddings
2 hm Ann Favreau — Wildflower Wedding
3 hm Betty Ann Whitney — Our Nuptial Fete
Cat. 16 PAST PRESIDENTS AWARD
1st: Jerri Hardesty — Oh, By the Way, Which One’s Pink
2nd: Robert V. Davis — Pleasure or Pain
3rd: Diane Neff — Weathering the Chill
1 hm: Shutta Crum — Performance
2 hm: Betty Ann Whitney — Baby Girl
3 hm: Beverly Smith-Tillery — Regret
Cat. 17 CURRENT ISSUES AWARD
1st: Beverly Smith-Tillery — The End of War in Afghanistan
2nd: Mark Andrew James Terry — The Loom of Politics
3rd :Judith Krum — Who Speaks?
Cat. 18 ORLANDO AREA POETS AWARD
1st: Cheryl A. Van Beek — Backdraft
2nd: Gail Denham — The Façade
3rd: Joanne Vandegrift — Ta-Da
1 hm: Diane Neff — The Bond2 hm: Susan Stahr — Emerald City
3 hm: Marc Davidson — Poetic Process
Cat. 19 LESLIE HALPERN MEMORIAL AWARD
1st: Mardi Knudson — Magic Story for Falling Asleep
2nd: Gail Denham — Goodbye Dream
3rd: Terry Jude Miller — Awaking within a Dream
1 hm: Elaine Person — Bliss
2 hm : Shutta Crum — Dream Song
3 hm: G. Kyra Von Brokoph — Pomgranate Seeds
Cat. 20 HUMOR AWARD
1st: Peter M. Gordon — Cat Scan Report
2nd: Jerri Hardesty — A Grand Plan
3rd: Jayne Jaudon Ferrar — What Lies Beneath
1 hm: Elaine Person — Don’t Dessert Me
2 hm: Barbara Blanks — Testa Mental Dental
3 hm: Mary Ellen Orvis — Rhyme of the Ancient Book Lover
Cat. 21 DORSIMBRA AWARD
1st: Barbara Blanks — Spring Jubilation
2nd: Holly Mandelkern — The Longest Love
3rd: Elaine Person — He’s Got Drive
1 hm: Gail Denham — Daily Hubbub
2 hm: Janice L. Freytag — Twists and Turns
3 hm: Mark Andrew James Terry — Final Voyage
Cat. 22 CHILDHOOD AWARD
1st: Carolynn J. Scully — Little Adventures
2nd: Judith Krum — From Dick and Jane to Billy Collins
3rd: Jerri Hardesty — Library Days
1 hm: Robyn Weinbaum — The Ugly Duckling
2 hm: Peter M. Gordon — Bedtime Stories
3 hm: Mark Andrew James Terry — Mother’s Thrum
Cat. 23 WEINBAUM/GLIDDEN AWARD
1st: Michelle Cuomo — Islip
2nd: Mary Ellen Orvis — Downhill
3rd: Marlene Kann — Leila
1 hm: Marc Davidson — Pride Month Limericks
2 hm: Elaine Person — (haiku)
Cat. 24 THE ENCHANTMENT AWARD
1st: Cheryl A. Van Beek — Wing Beats
2nd: Mark Andrew James Terry — Behind Fay Doors
3rd: Janice Canerdy — Shhh! Never Tell
1 hm: Mary Ellen Orvis — The Ghost of Christmas Eve Eve
2 hm: Judith Krum — The Velvet of the Night
3 hm: Bruce Woodworth — Time Travel
Cat. 25 MIAMI POETS AWARD
1st: Mark Andrew James Terry — At a Friend’s Grave
2nd: Sonja Jean Craig — Playtime
3rd: Terry Jude Miller — To befriend an introvert
1 hm: Marcy Clark — The Painter
2 hm: Pat Bonner Milone — The Order of Friendship
3 hm: Cheryl A. Van Beek — To My Friends During the Quarantine
Cat. 26 EKPHRASTIC POEM
1st: Mark Andrew James Terry — Those I Never Knew
2nd: Joyce Shiver — Farm Boys Dreaming
3rd: Barbara Blanks — Still
1 hm: Sonja Jean Craig — Golden Kiss
2 hm: Catherine Moran — Looking at the Winged Victory
3 hm: Jerri Hardesty — Mona Lisa
All you poets who are fed up with isolation and staying in with nothing to do but rewatch reruns repeatedly will no doubt rejoice at the feast of poetry creation we’ve got lined up for you this coming year.
For 2021 we have lined up 26 Categories in which you may compete. Your skills will be tested, your wits will be challenged and hopefully a lot of masterpieces will emerge victorious. The poetry contest will kick off May 1 when submissions start to be accepted. The submission period runs through July 15. And we urge you to get your submissions in timely. This past year we had one set of submissions which arrived months late due to the Post Offices delays, although it had been postmarked on time, and we had a heck of a fuss over accepting it or not. It’s right there in the rules: “FSPA will not be responsible for errors of delivery by the Post Office. We will acknowledge receipt of your entries as we receive them. If you do not receive a timely acknowledgement, contact us immediately at flueln@hotmail.com.” We wouldn’t want you to miss out on your chance to win a nice prize and some notice.
After July 15, the judging will commence, and the winners will be announced (and prizes distributed) at our annual fall convention in October. Naturally, we hope you’ll be there to collect your prize and read your winning poem to the assembled multitudes.
Below you’ll find the list of categories, and the rules and schedule for the contest. If there are any further questions, you can always email me at flueln@hotmail.com for answers. I hope to see entries from everyone!
~ Marc Davidson, Contest Chairman for 2021
List of the 2021 Contests
#1 FSPA FREE VERSE AWARD
Subject: Any. Form: Free Verse. 1 page limit.
1st PL $100. 2nd PL $75. 3rd PL $50. 3 HM
Entry fee $3 per poem for FSPA members,
$4 for non-members. Limit 2 poems.
Sponsored by FSPA, Inc.
#2 FSPA FORMAL VERSE AWARD
Subject: Any. Form: Formal Verse.
(Include form name at top of page.) 1 page limit.
1st PL $100. 2nd PL $75. 3rd PL $50. 3 HM
Entry fee $3 per poem for FSPA members,
$4 for non-members. Limit 2 poems.
Sponsored by FSPA, Inc.
#3 THE LIVE POETS SOCIETY AWARD
Subject: The Dark Side. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by The Live Poets Society of
Daytona Beach
#4 TOMOKA POETS AWARD
Subject: At the Beach. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Tomoka Poets
#5 WILLARD B. FOSTER MEMORIAL AWARD
Subject: Food. Form: Nonet, Haiku, Tanka, Etheree, Whitney, Ninette, Septolet, etc. Line Limit according to form.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by John F. Foster
#6 THE RONDEAU AWARD
Subject: Kindness. Form: Rondeau.
Formal rhyme scheme, 3 stanzas, 15 Lines.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Judith and Randy Krum
#7 JUNE OWENS MEMORIAL AWARD
Subject: Dancers. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by New River Poets
#8 THE POET’S VISION AWARD
Subject: Any. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Janet Watson
#9 NEW RIVER POETS AWARD
(In Honor of our Deceased Members)
Subject: Any. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by New River Poets
#10 ALFRED VON BROKOPH AWARD
Subject: Love, the good, the bad and the sad.
Form: Any lyrical. 30 Line Limit.
1st PL $40. 2nd PL $20. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by G. Kyra Von Brokoph
#11 HOWARD & SANDY GORDON MEMORIAL AWARD
Subject: Parents and/or Grandparents.
Form: Any. 50 Line Limit.
1st PL $35, 2nd PL $25, 3rd PL $15, 3 HM
Sponsored by Peter and David Gordon
#12 JANET BINKLEY ERWIN MEMORIAL AWARD
Subject: Any. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Poetry for the Love of It (PLOI)
#13 NOAH WEBSTER AWARD
Subject: Select any word of 6 or more syllables and make a poem on it.
Form: Any rhyming. 46 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Marc Davidson
#14 KATE KENNEDY MEMORIAL AWARD
Subject: Chocolate. Form: Any.40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by B.J. Alligood
#15 HENRIETTA & MARK KROAH FOUNDERS AWARD
(Free to FSPA Members)
Subject: Wedding. Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by FSPA, Inc.
#16 PAST PRESIDENTS AWARD
Subject: Any. Form: Any fixed form between 9 and 30 lines including section breaks. 30 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Past Presidents of FSPA
#17 CURRENT ISSUES AWARD
Subject: U.S. Politics 2020-2021.
Form: Blank Verse. 14 Line Limit
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Frank Yanni
#18 ORLANDO AREA POETS AWARD
Subject: Behind the Façade.
Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Orlando Area Poets
#19 LESLIE HALPERN MEMORIAL AWARD
Subject: Dreams.
Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Orlando Area Poets
#20 HUMOR AWARD
Subject: Humor. Form: Rhymed & Metered.
40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Sunshine Poets
#21 DORSIMBRA AWARD
Subject: Any. Form: Dorsimbra. 12 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Joyce Shiver
#22 CHILDHOOD AWARD
Subject: Children, reading, writing or both
Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $40. 2nd PL $20. 3rd PL $15. 3 HM
Sponsored by Bookseedstudio
#23 WEINBAUM/GLIDDEN AWARD
Subject: Issues and concerns faced by LGBTQ
Community and those who love them.
Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Robyn Weinbaum
#24 THE ENCHANTMENT AWARD
Subject: Paranormal, Fantasy, SciFi.
Form: Any. 40 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3HM
Sponsored by Sonja Jean Craig
#25 MIAMI POETS AWARD
Subject: Friendship. Form: Any. 50 Line Limit.
1st PL $25. 2nd PL $15. 3rd PL $10. 3HM
Sponsored by Miami Poets
#26 EKPHRASTIC POEM – Writing inspired by art
Subject: An Ekphrastic Poem inspired by a painting, photograph, sculpture or other piece of visual art. Include name of piece.
Form: Any. 50 line limit.
1st Prize: $25. 2nd Prize: $15. 3rd Prize: $10. 3 HM
Sponsored by Elaine Person
CONTEST RULES:
Please read carefully and follow all directions.
Any violations will disqualify submission.
- ALL POEMS MUST:
• be the original work of the poet
• be unpublished in any form
• not have won more than $10 in any contest
• be written in English
• be titled unless a sijo or haiku
• have a 40 lines limit unless stated otherwise
• not be simultaneously entered in any other contest - CATEGORY SPECIFICS:
• The same poem must not be entered in more than one category.
• Categories 1 & 2 are limited to 2 entries per category per poet.
• Categories 3 through 19 are limited to one entry per category per poet. - FORMAT:
• Typed, single-spaced on one side of 8.5” x 11” white paper. No illustrations.
• Submit 2 copies – both with category name and number on upper left.
• Poet’s name, address, phone and email on duplicate copy only on upper right.
• Mail all entries together in one envelope with check or money order payable to FSPA, Inc. using regular first class mail. - FEES:
• Categories 1 & 2 are $3 per poem for FSPA members, $4 for non-members (2 poem limit per category).
• Category 16 is free to FSPA members only – non-members pay $3.00.
• Remaining categories are $2 each per contest for FSPA members and $3 each per contest for non-members. Please do not send cash. Make checks or money orders payable to FSPA, Inc. - PUBLISHING RIGHTS:
• Poets give FSPA, Inc. exclusive first printing rights to all 1st place winning poems awarded in the FSPA, Inc. Annual Contest.
• 1st Place winning poems will be printed in the FSPA anthology.
• The Editor reserves the right to alter line breaks of more than 50 characters per line, including spaces.
• Printing rights revert to the poet after the anthology is published (October 2021)
SUBMISSION PERIOD: May 1 to July 15, 2021
July 15, 2021 is the “Postmarked By” deadline. FSPA will not be responsible for errors of delivery by the Post Office. We will acknowledge receipt of your entries as we receive them. If you do not receive a timely acknowledgement, contact us immediately at flueln@hotmail.com.
MAIL ENTRIES TO:
Marc Davidson
PO Box 730838
Ormond Beach, FL 32173
Winners’ names will be posted October 2021 on the FSPA website.