Concord250 Poetry Project - Winners Announced

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Call to Poets:  Reimagining America's 1776 Declaration of Independence

We are pleased to share the results of the Concord250 Call for Poetry which asked Massachusetts poets to Reimagine America's 1776 Declaration of Independence.   

Announcing the Winners! 

First Place: 

Declaration (Revised)  by Penn Rogers, Concord, MA

Second Place: 

A Feast for Everyone  by Elizabeth Frank, Concord, MA

Three Highly Commended: 

The Declaration of Interdependence  by Jenna Riedl, Framingham, MA

If we can keep it here by Betsy Devine, Concord, MA

The Pledge by Sarah Coletti, Acton, MA

 You're Invited!  Celebrate the Poets at a Reading in May

We invite the public to join us in May at the Concord Library - Goodwin Forum, 129 Main St,  to hear the winning poets read their poems and share their experience, followed by a reception with light refreshments. Date to be determined soon.

 Recordings of the winning poets will be available on the West Concord Poetry Phone in May.

 The judges of the Concord250 Call for Poetry were:  Dorrie Karlin, Maria Madison, Elizabeth Glenn Mitchell, Rob Munro. 

Press inquiries should be sent to: 250PoetryConcord@gmail.com

About the 250 Poetry Project

Eligibility Requirements and Entry Rules

  • Writers whose primary residence is Massachusetts and who are at least aged 18 can submit one poem written in English.
  • The poem must have no more than 260 words. Title, dedications, and epigraphs are not part of the word count. 
  • The subject matter of the poem must be appropriate for the general public. 
  • The general public must easily comprehend the language and vocabulary of the poem.
  • The poem must be entirely your own work and have not been previously published or appeared on any website.

Eligibility Requirements and Entry Rules - Concord250 Poetry Project

Entry Rules

IMPORTANT: Do not include any personal information on the poem or in the poem’s file name or your entry will be disqualified. 

Length
Entries are disqualified if they are over the 260 word limit. Titles, dedications, and epigraphs are not part of the word count.

Format of Poem

  • Type or copy and paste your poem into the submission form; do not include the title in the body of the text
  • Single line spaced, except between stanzas where it should be double.
  • Include exact word count at the bottom of the poem.

Submission Period

The “Call to Poets” submission page is open between June 16, 2025 and October 31, 2025.  Deadline extended to January 31, 2026!

Judging

A Concord committee of three judges will review the poems anonymously.  The judges’ decision is final. They are unable to comment on individual entries. “Call to Poets” leaders reserve the right to change the panel of judges without notice.

Names of judges will appear on the “Call to Posts” webpage after awards are selected.

Results, Awards & A Required Concord Reading in Person by Five Winners 

First Prize, Second Prize, and Highly Commended poets will be notified by email in March, 2026. 

Monetary awards will be given to the First Place Prize poem ($1,000), the Second Place Prize poem ($350), and three Highly Commended poems ($150 each).

The First Place poet, the Second Place poet, and the 3 Highly Commended poets are expected to be present at the Concord Free Public Library Main Branch in the Goodwin Forum on Sunday, May 3, 2026 from 3:00 to 4:15 to read and comment on their poems. Refreshments will be served and the event will be recorded by local media.

These awarded poets also may be asked to record their poems for broadcast

Resources:

The “Call to Poets” invites reflection on America’s founding ideals in the Declaration of Independence while addressing the continuing pursuit of justice, equity, and inclusion for all. 

For your reference, here are a few recommended resources:

Resources - Concord250 Poetry Project

Concord’s Historic Background For 10,000 years, before Europeans came to American, the Nipmuc and Massachusett peoples lived in this area in a flourishing area of settlement they called Musketaquid, meaning “land among grassy river.”

Concord was incorporated as the first inland settlement in Massachusetts dated September 12, 1635 and is regarded as the birthplace of the nation, as it’s where the first battle of the American Revolutionary War (War for Independence) on April 19, 1775 was fought and where the “shot heard ‘round the world” for liberty and self-government was fired. 

During that battle, between twenty and forty colonists were of African descent or Indigenous people and were the first of many people of color to take up arms between 1775 and 1783. By the end of the war, an estimated 5,500 African and Indigenous men served on the colonial side. Regrettably, systemic racism and historical bias have erased or buried many records of Black and Indigenous people who had a prominent role in the founding of the United States.

For a more detailed history of Concord and the surrounding area, see https://visitconcord.org/about/

When Thomas Jefferson Penned All Men Are Created Equal… While the Declaration of Independence (1776) proclaimed that “all men are created equal,” Stanford historian Jack Rakove notes that this phrase was originally intended to assert the collective right of the American colonies to self-governance, rather than individual equality. Over time, however, Americans have reinterpreted the Declaration as a broader commitment to civil rights, shaping movements for inclusion and justice.

https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2020/07/meaning-declaration-independence-changed-time

Howard University Law Library’s Civil Rights History Portal

Howard University Law Library’s Civil Rights History portal provides insight into the historical and legal battles of various marginalized groups, including Black Americans, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, immigrants, and Indigenous communities. Each group’s struggle for civil rights has shaped modern America, demonstrating that the pursuit of equality is an ongoing effort that requires constant engagement, reflection, and action. 

https://library.law.howard.edu/civilrightshistory/indigenous