Trill: Poems that Reasonate (August Theme: Bravery)
Ends on
Special Promo: Be one of the first 25 writers to submit before 8/31, and we'll respond to your submission within 2 weeks.
"Poetry is above all a concentration of the power of language, which is the power of our ultimate relationship to everything in the universe." -Adrienne Rich
"Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits." - Carl Sandburg
We are looking for poems that uniquely explore each month's theme and perform Olympic feats with language that leave a reader in wonder while still referring back to the basic things that make us human. We want powerful imagery and enjoy the juxtaposition of images in interesting and unexpected ways, like Sandburg's hyacinths and biscuits.
We want poems that make the reader think and feel, work that humbles us with its joy, humor, embarrassment, anger, hope, grief, or all of the above, and gravitate toward writing that has something important to teach us--something that readers really need to know, but might not have understood this was a need until the last word of the work.
One poem will be selected each week for publication on our website. See the guidelines below.
Upcoming Themes:
September 2025: Impermanence (Submissions open 9/1-9/30)
October 2025: Space/Place (Submissions open 10/1-10/31)
November 2025: Community (Submissions open 11/1-11/30)
December 2025: Letting Go (Submissions open 12/1-12/31)
January 2026: Sound
February 2026: Obsession
March 2026: Movement
April 2026: Blossoming
Guidelines:
- Work submitted to this project is only considered for online publication.
- Only previously unpublished work will be considered.
- Submit up to 3 poems as one submission in a single Microsoft Word file. List the title of each poem as the title of your Submittable upload.
-Include a clear title for each poem.
-Please single space all poems.
-Include a cover letter and a short 3rd person biography of no more than 150 words. In your cover letter, briefly explain how you think your poems resonate with the current theme.
-Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please let us know immediately if the work is published elsewhere.
-Writers may not submit more than once in a three-month period.
Submissions that do no meet guidelines or eligibility requirements will not be considered.
While we offer free submissions the first week of each month (April to December), general submissions are typically $3 (to cover administrative costs).
You may also choose to receive a quick decision about your work for $10, and may also receive a quick decision about your work along with personalized feedback from the editors for $25 (1.5-2 pages). The response time for both expedited and personalized options is approximately 2 weeks.
Subscribe to our Substack Newsletter, Roots and Words, and Stay Connected to Our Literary Community
Our monthly newsletter highlights some of our recent fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction and also includes book reviews of upcoming and recently released titles. If you're looking for something new to read, you won't want to miss these carefully curated titles and recommendations.
Consider becoming a monthly or annual subscriber for exclusive poems, essays, community conversations, and much more.
https://rootsandwords.substack.com/
Please take a moment to follow us on social media.