PENNY FREELAND - FLIP SIDE

Penny Freeland is a NYC transplant now living on the beach in Cape Hatteras. She has been writing poetry and songs before she could hold a pen and had to memorize the work. Penny holds a BA from Queens College and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Her poetry has been published in renowned journals including Rattle, Big City Lit, Tiny Seed Literary Journal, Eclectica Magazine, Red Booth Review, Austin International Poets, and other esteemed publications, highlighting her dedication to the craft of writing.

Just when we thought our winner had claimed the crown without question, another voice came along and made us pause—made us rethink everything. This piece was the kind that lingers like an aftertaste, like a song you can’t stop humming even when the music has long since faded. It didn’t just tell a story—it became one, weaving itself into our minds with striking language, gut-punch emotions, and a quiet power that refused to be ignored.

It stood on the precipice of victory, a single breath away, leaving us in awe of its depth and brilliance.


KAITLYN RAMOS-FLEDGLINGS

Kaitlyn Ramos is a faith-driven writer whose work explores themes of challenge and personal growth. As a reading intervention teacher, Army wife, and homeschool mom in Kentucky, she enjoys traveling, visiting museums, and taking nature walks—often with her dog in tow. She publishes a personal blog called Dream Fulfilled Life.

If the winner and first runner-up were like thunder, this piece was lightning—sharp, electric, and impossible to look away from. Some pieces whisper. Some scream. And then, there are the ones that sing. This was one of them. Every line was a note, every word a melody, and by the time we reached the final sentence, we were completely spellbound. It was the kind of writing that made us sit back, exhale, and realize we had just experienced something special.

A truly mesmerizing work.


DREW HEUERMANN - WESTNEDGE RED LIGHT

Drew Heuermann is a social worker from Michigan. His poem, "Barefoot Behind a Jail," was the runner-up in the 2017 Gwen Frostic Creative Writing Awards. He also worked as an intern for New Issues Press and Poets in Print.

If there’s one thing this contest taught us, it’s that talent is relentless. Choosing winners was agonizing because every single finalist here delivered something extraordinary. Some made us feel things we weren’t ready to feel, some made us see the world through a different lens, and others left us marveling at their sheer craft. These were the pieces that made us pause, reread, and whisper, Wow. They came so close to the top, brushing against victory with undeniable force, and each of them has earned a rightful place among the best.

Their words refuse to be forgotten—and trust us, once you read them, neither will you.


JOSHUA GENTRY - WHERE THE LIGHT BENDS DOWN TO CARESS THE SHADOW

J.A. Gentry (they/them) is a queer, genderfluid writer who grew up in Portland, Oregon. They graduated with honors from UC Berkeley in 2023 as an English major. Over this past summer, they were selected to participate in the Iowa Writers' Workshop's annual Summer Poetry Workshop, facilitated by Hai-Dang Phan. Currently, they are a second-year law student at Penn State Law School. They are passionate about creating a more sustainable infrastructure for artists to earn a living in the U.S., allowing creatives a space to freely express themselves without harboring the burden of constantly trying to meet their basic needs. This passion has led them to seek a legal education so they may focus on using their expertise in intellectual property rights to better prepare them to aid other artists in their creative pursuits.

HANNAH ARVANIGIAN - DANDELION NEIGHBORS

Hannah is a student and teacher at Western Michigan University. She is working on her MFA in poetry while teaching English Composition. She has been published in Thistle Magazine and Ant vs. Whale and has been a finalist for The Journal and the WMU poetry competition.

RYAN RAHMAN - SAKURA

Ryan Rahman is a writer based in Orlando, Florida. His poems have been published in Beyond Words Magazine, The Stardust Review, Half and One, BarBar, Humans of the World, Festival for Poetry, and Wingless Dreamer. When he’s not writing, Ryan enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies, and traveling.

LINA BUIVIDAVICIUTE - FAUNA

Lina Buividavičiūtė was born on May 14, 1986. She is a poet and literary critic. Lina has authored three poetry books in Lithuanian. Her work has been published in Matter, Masters, Proverse Poetry Prize contest anthologies, Drunk Monkeys, Beyond Words, The Dewdrop, The Limit Experience, Poets Choice, HOW, Beyond Queer Words, Maudlin House, Cathexis Northwest Press, Poetry Online magazines, and the Versopolis poetry platform. Her upcoming publications will appear in New Millennium Writings, Cathexis Northwest Press, Quillkeepers Press, The Stardust Review, and Beyond Words magazine.

JENNIFER WEIGEL - SONGS ON THE WIND

Multi-disciplinary mixed media conceptual artist Jennifer Weigel lives in Kansas, USA, with her husband. She is an avid art collector and enjoys playing board and role-playing games, junk store thrifting, and mail art. Her spirit animal is the deer. Her favorite foods are unagi don, broiled calamari steak, and frosting—with or without cake. Weigel is a regular contributor to Haunted MTL and Nat1 Publishing.

CHRISTIAN WARD - ROSE

Christian Ward is a UK-based poet with recent work in Southword, Ragaire, Okay Donkey, and Roi Faineant. Two collections, Intermission and Zoo, are available on Amazon and elsewhere.