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Parks & Points & Poetry 2021

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Parks&Points&Poetry

Parks & Points & Poetry 2021

In April of 2021, we will again host our annual online poetry series in honor of National Poetry Month. We invite poetry submissions that reflect upon nature, outdoor exploration, and accompanying moments of adventurousness or self-reflection. The guidelines for submission and the FAQ are as follows:

Guidelines

Submit 1-3 poems, the name of the location (park, public land, or designated outdoor space) that inspired the poem or poems, and a short bio to amy@parksandpoints.com, anytime between March 8, 2021 and March 31, 2021. Please submit all of your work in ONE email. Copy and paste into the email body is preferred, though attachments are also acceptable.

FAQ

1. Does my work need to be about a U.S. national park?

No. Although we cover national parks on Parks & Points, this series is about exploring and celebrating the power of nature and the outdoors, and poems can be inspired by a variety of venues and landscapes. That said, we will include the name of the location with each published poem, be it a national park, forest, lakeshore or seashore, a state park or natural area, or an outdoor urban space, so please include this information with your submission.

2. Can I submit just one poem?

Yes! You can submit one poem you love, or up to three (3).

3.  When will I know if my work has been accepted for publication?
 
We intend to let writers know during the first week of April, give or take a day or two depending on the volume of last minute submissions.

4. Can I publish my work elsewhere if it is published on Parks & Points?

You retain the rights to your work, but we ask that you credit Parks & Points as the first publisher in subsequent publications of the same poem(s).

5. Will I be compensated?
 
We will offer an honorarium of $10 per published poem.

More questions? Email amy@parksandpoints.com.

Discover and read poems from the Parks & Points & Poetry series

Know This Place

Travel with Lauren Smith as she finds a sense of home on the road, much like the migrating birds she studies. "The month after I moved to Montana I went to an environmental conference in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. There, I heard a Blackfeet elder say this: “We are bound by breath to honor and take care of this place.” The elder was speaking about conservation, and how it is important to care for all parts of an ecosystem—the watershed, the soil, the plants, the animals. To care, the elder said, you need to settle in a place and let it settle in you. Once this happens, you are bound by breath to honor and care for that place." Click here to continue.

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Dining with the Sky Gods

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An hour later and I'm clinging to a cable on the side of the mountain, treading a path so narrow my feet no longer fit side by side safely, but only one in front of the other. There is a steep, almost vertical drop to my right hand side. Indeed, at one point there is only a metal bar sticking out from the sheer rock, bridging the next bit of narrow path. Don't look down, I think. Hang on to the cable with both hands. Phew. Done.

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