Dancing with Distraction

The Prompt

An acrostic is a form of poetry in which the first letter of each line, when read vertically from top to bottom, spells out a word, phrase, or name. It is a creative way to incorporate a hidden message or theme within a poem. The word that is spelled out through the initial letters of each line is typically related to the overall subject or theme of the poem.

The theme of this challenge's acrostic, distraction, can be both a hindrance and a wellspring of inspiration. It pulls our attention away, diverting us from our intended path, yet it also opens doors to unexpected ideas and perspectives. Whether it's the lure of social media, the buzzing chaos of a bustling city, or the cacophony of thoughts battling for attention within our minds, distractions are an ever-present force in our lives. In this contest, we want you to embrace the chaos and uncover the hidden treasures that lie within the realm of distraction.

The acrostic format of your poem should look like this:

D

I

S

T

R

A

C

T

I

O

N

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $250
• 10 Runners-Up: $75

For your poem to be eligible, it should be an acrostic using the letters from the word distraction, submitted to the Poets Community, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Poems published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until June 15, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Dancing with Distraction Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.