Say It Plainly

The Prompt

Poems often rely on suggestion. They circle their subject, translate it into image, or defer meaning through metaphor. This challenge asks you to remove those layers.

State the poem’s central concern plainly. Name it. Address it directly. The language should not disguise or elevate the subject through symbolism or indirection. What replaces metaphor here is precision.

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

• A poem (any style or structure is welcome).
• Between 100 and 500 words.
• Submitted to the Poets community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before March 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
• Your work must be original and unpublished.

The Prizes

• 5 Winners: $200 each
• 15 Runners-up: $15 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: $5 each

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 100 and 500 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until March 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Say It Plainly Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win, you must be over the age of 13 and reside 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 a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.