Earlier this month, we challenged you, our readers, to craft a poem using only the words that appeared in our Wednesday, April 3 newsletter.
Turns out, you’re all poets and we didn’t even know it. We were thrilled to read the original, creative, and awe-inspiring poems Lakelanders created from our newsletter copy. Check out the poems below, including the contest winner our readers voted for.
Winner: “Kiss from a Vampire” by Paige P.
We could be magical, like Disney.
A complex mural of art, Unlike any of the others.
But now?
Now it’s feeling ambivalent;
Not even special.
This was to be fun, with potential to be significant.
We were a team!
But you expressed taking things in a new direction.
What for?
You set yourself free. I stay here, despite you.
All because this “fungi” signed up for Hinge.
Now, a small bite has filled with red…...
Finalist: “Poetry on a Diet” by Cindy L.
Poetry on a diet,
Only 75 words?
Could be fun.
Inspired play
Expressed as a buffet,
With words as food
That fuel the artists.
Still, would you honor
The Arts with snacks?
Will Americana
Gobble up small bites?
Poetry on a diet -
What’s next for this poet?
Finalist: “Dixieland Road Diet Dilemma” by Anna C.
Ditch Dixieland Road Diet
Drive, drive away.
Ambivalent?
Travel Success Ave.
Try flying
Unleash your creativity
Did you know iconic carpets international
signed a contract with a most magical place—
Swan City?
Officials and children clarify—
“Open to all, the rules couldn’t be more simple:
Adults on either side of the street red with others
can gobble up fungi!”
The rules
Using only the words that appear in the Wednesday, April 3 newsletter, craft an original poem of up to 75 words. Unlike an erasure poem, the words do not have to appear in the order they’re found — mix and match how you please. Any English word appearing anywhere in today’s newsletter is fair game, including the ones you’re reading right now (we’ll throw some fun ones at you: Red. Ambivalent. Fungi.). If a word appears once, you can only use it once.
- Submit your poem here by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 14.
- Include a title + author’s name in your submission. Titles are an exception to the rule, and do not need to pull words from the newsletter.
- Poems, excluding title and author’s name, must be 75 words or less.
- While we’ve placed a pretty big limitation on your poem’s words, the form + direction is up to you — and we can’t wait to see what you all come up with.
- The Editorial team behind LALtoday will narrow submissions down to a group of finalists based on style, originality, artistic quality, and creativity. Finalists will be announced in an upcoming newsletter, and we’ll ask our readers to vote for their favorite poem. We’ll feature the winner’s poem in a newsletter during the last full week of April.
- Pro tip: To make the process easier on yourself, we recommend printing out today’s issue, highlighting the words you find most interesting, and crossing them out as you include them in your poem.
- Don’t forget to keep track of your articles (words like “the” or “and”).
Happy writing, Lakeland.
