Smooth

The Prompt

For this poetry challenge, we encourage you to seek inspiration from the world around you — where nature's craftsmanship reveals itself in the gentlest of textures and manufactured surfaces glide like silk. "Smooth" is a concept that transcends simplicity. It embodies grace, elegance, and a touch of magic. It can be found in the gloss on a stone worn by centuries of river currents, in the velvety softness of a cherished childhood quilt, or the polished charm of a well-loved antique. You may choose to depict a moment, an object, or an abstract concept, as long as you capture the tactile qualities that smooth embodies. All forms of poetry are welcome.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must:

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $600
• Second Place: $200
• 10 Runners-Up: $20

For your poem to be eligible, it should be submitted to the Poets Community, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Poems published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until November 30, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Smooth 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.