October 2026 packs a lot into thirty-one days for poets — first-book prizes, single-poem contests, translation awards, and a few big travel opportunities all close this month. Below is a curated roundup of poetry contests October 2026 and related calls we verified on official contest or publisher pages. Always double-check guidelines (fees, eligibility, and formatting) before … [Read more...] about Poetry Submission Deadlines October 2026
What If I Say I Shall Not Wait?, By: Emily Dickinson
What if I say I shall not wait?What if I burst the fleshly gateAnd pass, escaped, to thee?What if I file this mortal off,See where it hurt me, -- that 's enough, --And wade in liberty? They cannot take us any more, --Dungeons may call, and guns implore;Unmeaning now, to me,As laughter was an hour ago,Or laces, or a travelling show,Or who died yesterday! … [Read more...] about What If I Say I Shall Not Wait?, By: Emily Dickinson
Wedded, By: Emily Dickinson
A solemn thing it was, I said,A woman white to be,And wear, if God should count me fit,Her hallowed mystery. A timid thing to drop a lifeInto the purple well,Too plummetless that it come backEternity until. … [Read more...] about Wedded, By: Emily Dickinson
We Play At Paste, By: Emily Dickinson
We play at paste,Till qualified for pearl,Then drop the paste,And deem ourself a fool.The shapes, though, were similar,And our new handsLearned gem-tacticsPractising sands. … [Read more...] about We Play At Paste, By: Emily Dickinson
We Outgrow Love Like Other Things, By: Emily Dickinson
We outgrow love like other thingsAnd put it in the drawer,Till it an antique fashion showsLike costumes grandsires wore. … [Read more...] about We Outgrow Love Like Other Things, By: Emily Dickinson
We Never Know We Go, — When We Are Going, By: Emily Dickinson
We never know we go, -- when we are goingWe jest and shut the door;Fate following behind us bolts it,And we accost no more. … [Read more...] about We Never Know We Go, — When We Are Going, By: Emily Dickinson