A new poetry contest opens on March 10 through April 14th for OPA members only in celebration of National Poetry Month. The contest has been sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Enter one poem, any style, any subject, any form, two page maximum. No submission fee. https://opa.submittable.com/
Winners will be announced by mid-May 2026, and be invited to read at the OPA 70th Anniversary Celebration. Winning poems will be published in the next issue of OPA’s Verseweavers.
The contest will be judged by Sherri Levine
Sherri Levine is a poet, educator, and mental health advocate who lives in Portland, Oregon. She recently was awarded the Patricia Ruth Banta Award which honors an individual who has made a significant contribution to Oregon Poetry awarded by the Oregon Poetry Association (OPA). Her poem, “Facedown,” won the Lois Cranston Memorial Prize. Her work has been published in many national and international journals and anthologies such as Prairie Schooner, Poet Lore, Calyx, and The Jewish Literary Journal. Her full-length poetry collection, Stealing Flowers from the Neighbors (Kelsay Press, 2021) was an Alzheimer’s Author’s pick for their national book club. She published A Joy to See (Just a Lark Books, 2023), an ekphrastic poetry book of 30 prominent poets responding to her late mother, Kay Levine’s artwork. I Remember Not Sleeping, is an illustrated poetry book dedicated those struggling with mental illness or know someone who is. Her forthcoming anthology, Waking in the Blue: Poetry & Essays about Mental Health, will be released in April 2027.
