The Ontario Poetry Society - CUTTING THE UMBILICAL CORD

The Ontario Poetry Society Presents
CUTTING THE UMBILICAL CORD - TRANSITIONS POETRY CONTEST
Open to Everyone living in Canada

First Prize - $100, Second Prize - $50, Third Prize - $25
Plus 20 Honourable Mention Awards
All cash prizes paid in Canadian dollars.
All prize winning entries receive an award certificate.
All prize winning entries will be published in a chapbook
anthology & all prize winners will receive one copy of the book.

Rules & Guidelines

Poems on the theme of transitions that relate to growing up, finding independence and making decisions ... regarding family ; a co-dependant relationship ; an addiction ; financially ; from indoctrination ; modifications made due to cultural and social change ; confronting an emotional need for approval, validation, and/or acceptance by/from any "tribe" ; finding your own voice, affirming your opinions and solidifying values. Poems can also be about moving forward without a parent or parents, grandparents or siblings in a positive light (not a heavy emphasis on grieving).

Poems to be no longer than 32 lines using Arial #11 font, single spaced.
Spaces between stanzas count as lines; titles do not count as lines.
No more than 40 characters per line, this includes punctuation and spaces between words.
All styles welcome and there's no limit to the number of poems per submission.
Submit on white 8.5 x 11" paper, one page side only.

NO poems previously published and NO simultaneous submissions allowed for this contest.

The author must own the copyright to all poems being submitted.

Blind Judging
No author information to be anywhere on the same page as the poem, front or back.
A separate cover page must be included with author name, mailing and email
addresses, and phone number, along with a list of poem titles (first line if no poem title).

Entry Fees
1 poem for $5, 3 poems for $10

Contest Deadline
Entries to be mailed on or before post mark date September 30, 2025.
Send entries with payment to
The Ontario Poetry Society
#710 - 65 Spring Garden Ave., Toronto, ON M2N 6H9

Contest Judge is John Oughton