Writing Competition: Prime 53 Summer Poem Challenge

The “Prime 53 Poem” Summer Challenge

 

This is a free contest to celebrate a new poetry form invented by Press 53 poetry editor Christopher Forrest and editor in chief Kevin Morgan Watson: the Prime 53 poem. 

 

This Summer Challenge runs the entire summer, from June 21 through September 23.

 

The challenge is to write a Prime 53 poem.

 

Our top three poems, judged by Chris and Kevin, will be published in Issue 163 of Prime Number Magazine on October 1, 2019. The winners will receive a free paperback book of their choice from Press 53 or one free seminar at the High Road Festival of Poetry and Short Fiction, March 28, 2020, in Winston-Salem, NC (information on the Press 53 website).

 

Your poem must adhere to the following rules:
· Total syllable count of 53
· Eleven total lines
· First three stanzas are three lines each with a 7 / 5 / 3 syllable count
· Final stanza must be two lines with a 5 / 3 syllable count, for a total syllable count of 53
· Rhyme scheme (slant/soft rhymes are fine) aba cdc efe gg

 

The total line count is a prime number (11), the syllable count in each line is a prime number (7 / 5/ 3) with each line of the last two-line stanza a prime number (5 / 3), and the poem’s total syllable count is a prime number (53)..
Prime 53 Poem Sample
Road trips, beaches, and one-wish
trips, backdrops for your
reading lists.

 

Why not, too, write poetry?
Count your syllables:
fifty-three.

 

Pens and pads, your tools to pack.
Leave ideas there, bring
poems back.

 

You will feel better,
and smarter.

 

By entering this competition, the author grants Press 53 First Serial Rights to publish their Prime 53 poem in Issue 163 of Prime Number Magazine, along with the author’s photo and bio. All rights revert back to author upon publication.

 

Enter for free now through Submittable or email your poem to:

 

EditorATPress53DOTcom (Change AT to @ and DOT to .)