rockpaperpoem

Current Issue

  • EDITORS’ NOTE

    Dear RPP Readers,

    Welcome to our annual contest issue, and congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists! We are deeply grateful to Michael Kleber-Diggs for the care and generosity he brought to reading the many outstanding poems submitted to this year’s contest.

    One of the quiet pleasures of editing a poetry journal is in discovering the unexpected patterns and conversations that emerge when poems are placed beside one another, offering new perspectives. This issue spans an extraordinary range of voices, subjects, and forms, and we hope you’ll take your time with it, allowing those connections to reveal themselves as you read.

    We are delighted to announce that Valeria Eden has been named co-managing editor of RockPaperPoem. Val has been an integral part of the journal as associate editor, and we are thrilled to recognize her expanded leadership.

    This issue is also Sue McMillan’s last as senior poetry editor. Sue’s keen editorial eye and gift for recognizing and refining exceptional work have helped define the voice and quality of RockPaperPoem. We are profoundly grateful for her years of service and wish her every happiness in retirement. At the same time, we are also delighted to welcome David Prather as our next senior poetry editor.

    We hope you enjoy this issue and Michael Kleber-Diggs’ reflections on this year’s contest winners, which follow in full.

    Michael Kleber-Gibbs – The Judge’s Reflections

    “24 poems were forwarded to me for consideration, and the first thing I did was read them. Then, I set them aside. Then, a few days later, I returned to them only with reading in mind. On that second reading, a few began to stand out to me. As I turned each page and saw the poem to come, images and moments popped up before I could get underway—“ah yes, this is the lovely love letter to the sister” or “this is the one where stars shift and dance and conjure moths because light enchants like that” or “this is that vivid contrapuntal working effectively with land and language.” As a poetry judge, I can feel comforted reading so many voices making such compelling work. 

    On my third lap through, six poems stood out a bit above the rest. I focused my attention there but went back to check my work. When I read those six poems again (and again), then took a night to think it over, I eventually identified two for honorable mention and one winner. “Barn” dazzled me with its rich lines and lovely language. Its images were specific and spectacular. The opening and ending were resonant. I have selected it as a runner up. “On Concision” is precise and brilliant. To me, poetry, at its best, is sonic and metrical and metaphorical (and therefore open). It shifts our perspectives; it changes us. “On Concision” stood out to me in this way and affected me in this way. 

    I’ve selected “Middle Age and the Multiverse” as the winner for the radiant and subtle way it returns to its central image and motif—fire, flame, smoke, for the way it navigates turns and time, for its specific and organic language, and, most of all, for how it made me feel when I got to that final sentence. Heck, for the way that final sentence makes me feel even now, typing this. “Middle Age and the Multiverse” had me thinking about how the past and the present are both distinct and intertwined, just like all us human beings, vast as we are, each containing our multitudes.”

    Warmly,

    The Editors
    Pam, Val, Lisa and Sue

    Image of Jillian Stacia

    THE 2026 RPP POETRY CONTEST

    WINNER

    Jillian Stacia — “Middle Age and the Multiverse”

    Jillian Stacia is the author of the bestselling poetry collection, Set the Bone, published by Arcana Poetry Press. She was selected as an Honorable Mention for the 2025 Jack McCarthy Book Prize and shortlisted for the 2026 Central Avenue Poetry Prize. She has been nominated for several awards, including Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. Her poetry has been featured in several literary magazines and anthologies. Find her online @jillianstacia to read more of her work.

    Image of Dagne Forrest

    FIRST RUNNER UP

    Dagne Forrest — “On Concision”

    Dagne Forrest is a Canadian poet with recent work in Rogue Agent, Funicular Magazine, Tar River Poetry, Prism International, The New Quarterly, and Rust + Moth. She was selected as a finalist in the 2025 Marvin Bell Memorial Poetry Prize by Maggie Smith. Dagne belongs to Painted Bride Quarterly’s senior editorial and podcast teams. Her chapbooks include Un/becoming (Baseline Press, 2025) and Falldown Lane (Whittle Micropress, 2026).

    Image of Tori Grant Welhouse

    SECOND RUNNER UP

    Tori Grant Welhouse — “Barn”

    Tori Grant Welhouse is a Wisconsin poet and writer. Her newest poetry chapbook is Padding Loamy on a Brew of Earth from Bottlecap Press. Her other chapbooks include Vaginas Need Air, winner of the 2020 Etchings Press Chapbook Contest, and Canned published by Finishing Line Press. She has also written a YA fantasy novel, The Fergus, winner of the inaugural Skyrocket Press Novel Writing Contest. Most recently, her poems have been published in the Midwest Review, Red Ogre Review, and RockPaperPoem. She has been nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart Prize. For more information, visit www.torigrantwelhouse.com. 

    Image of Melody Wilson

    HONORABLE MENTION

    Melody Wilson — “Matriline”

    Melody Wilson’s poetry appears in Rust and Moth, One, B O D Y, Gyroscope, and other publications. Her first collection, Madre Dura, was the 2025 winner of the Paul Nemser Prize from Lily Poetry Review. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Find more of her work at melodywilson.com.

    Image of Jane Ann Fuller

    HONORABLE MENTION

    Jane Ann Fuller — “For My Brother, Gone Nearly A Year”

    Jane Ann Fuller’s Half-Life (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions) was named a finalist for the 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards. A recipient of the James Boatwright III Poetry Prize, Fuller’s poetry appears in Anacapa Review, Blue Earth Review, B O D Y, Calyx, Cimarron Review (forthcoming), Grist, Hunger Mountain, JMWW, Main Street Rag, One Art, On The Seawall, RockPaperPoem, Shenandoah, Still, Sugar House Review, SWWIM, The Ekphrastic Review, The MacGuffin, Trampoline (forthcoming), Triggerfish Critical Review, Verse Daily, Waccamaw, and in the anthologies All We Know of Pleasure: Poetic Erotica by Women and Women of Appalachia Project. Fuller earned her MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop.

    Image of Karl Sherlock

    HONORABLE MENTION

    Karl Sherlock — “Paleolithic”

    Karl Sherlock, a Fulbright alumnus, Academy of American Poets Prize winner, and twice-listed Best of the Net finalist, writes poetry that explores intersections of queerness, ecopoetics, disability, conflict, and suffering. His work appears in a variety of journals and anthologies, including Broken Lens, Cathexis Northwest, Limehawk, Neologism, New Feathers, Panoply, RockPaperPoem, Stoneboat, Sunshine Noir III, Third Street, West Trade Review, and several others. An online college English professor, Karl is disabled and lives in El Cajon, California, with his parrot, Bubo, and his chronically ill husband, Max, for whom he is a round-the-clock palliative caregiver.

    Image credits:
    “Middle Age and the Multiverse” by Jillian Stacia
    Image title: Pensive woman with long red hair smokes by a window, enveloped in moody lighting
    Image author: MART PRODUCTION
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “On Concision” by Dagne Forrest
    Image title: A person extends an open palm, displaying a coin outdoors, symbolizing giving or receiving
    Image author: Fotografia Lui Vlad
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Barn” by Tori Grant Welhouse
    Image title: Quaint red barn in a snowy winter landscape, Jonkoping County, Sweden
    Image author: Damir K
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Matriline” by Melody Wilson
    Image title: Two orcas gracefully swim in the vast blue ocean near Faro, Portugal, showcasing marine beauty
    Image author: Jose Vargues
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Paleolithic” by Karl Sherlock
    Image title: A Vintage Steam Train Travels Through a Snowy Landscape During Winter
    Image author: Stefan Schulze
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “For My Brother, Gone Nearly a Year” by Jane Ann Fuller
    Image title: Close-up of vibrant flames and sparks in a fire, creating a dramatic and warm atmosphere
    Image author: Breaks Out
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “We Went Towards Star Trek” by Allison Burris
    Image: Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band Perform During a “Tribute to the Troops” Concert
    Image author: Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Jesse A. Hyatt, U.S. Navy
    Source: PICRYL
    ———————–
    “All the Songs I Play on Repeat are About Breaking Up” by Adrian S. Potter
    Image title: Back View of a Man with Headphones
    Image Author: Fatih Güney
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Shards of Shining Things”
    Image title: A Couple Admires the Milky Way on a Starry Night in South Africa
    Image author: George Kashcheev
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Blueberries” by Sonya Schneider
    Image: Hands Holding Fresh Blueberries in a Cloth
    Image author: Burst
    Source: Wikimedia Commons
    ———————–
    “Silent Spring” by Rob Hardy
    Image: A Cloud of Dandelion Seeds Against a Dark Background
    Image author: Sage Ross
    Source: Wikimedia Commons
    ———————–
    “Remembered” by Karl Sherlock 
    Image title: A Young Child Climbs a Ladder to Pick Ripe Plums from a Tree in an Outdoor Setting
    Image author: Anna Bondarenko
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Self-Portrait on a Bus” by Thomas Saunders
    Image title: Schizophrenic Reflection
    Image author: Tom Blackwell
    Source: Flickr
    ———————–
    “Blush” by Sonya Schneider
    Image: American Robin from the Crossley ID Guide Eastern Birds
    Image author: Richard Crossley
    Source: Wikimedia Commons
    ———————–
    “Beauty” by Jamie Cattanach
    Image: Hand Holding a Textured Seashell
    Image Author: Lisa Fotios
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Lighting My Cigarette, I Used That Book You Love” by Nate Hirschtick
    Image: Burning Book, Cigarette in Hand Composite
    Art Direction: Deborah Goschy

    Photo 1
    Image title: Book Burning
    Image author: Quin Daedal
    Source: Flickr

    Photo 2
    Image title: A person holding a cigarette in their hand. Cigarette holding hand.
    Image author: N/A
    Source: Pixabay
    ———————–
    “The Choice” by Jed Myers
    Image: Man sitting on chair opening book in front of boy
    Image author: N/A
    Source: PickPik
    ———————–
    “Vigil” by Mary Beth Hines
    Image: Father’s Day—Father and Child Stargazing in a Night Field
    Image author: N/A
    Source: God Pictures
    ———————–
    “Triptych in 5 Parts: Alt-Texts for the Stonewall National Monument Historical Marker” by Sean Bugg
    Image title: Vibrant stained glass windows with arched design showcasing historical art in warm tones
    Image author: Ramon Karolan
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “Yohaku No Bi of my Mother’s Surgery*” by Mary Anne Griffiths
    Image: The Pine Trees
    Image author: Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610)
    Source:  PICRYL
    ———————–
    “Spell for an Ordinary Tuesday” by Peter Schireson
    Image: A Slice of a Palo Verde in Bloom
    Image author: Deborah A. Goschy
    Source: N/A
    ———————–
    “Still, Swinging*” by Rhys Anderson
    Image: cracked tree
    Image author(s): Brett and Sue Coulstock of Red Moon Sanctuary
    Source: Tree Logic
    ———————–
    “I Was a Boy so I Never Told My Parents Who I Am in Words” by Matthew Chi
    Image title: Double Exposure of a Man and a Flower Field Against a Cityscape Backdrop
    Image author: Stayhereforu
    Source: Pexels
    ———————–
    “The Moths” by Jed Myers
    Image: Man with a Moth on His Face Composite
    Art Direction: Deborah Goschy

    Photo 1
    Image: Close-Up of a Polyphemus Moth on a Branch
    Image author: N/A
    Source: PickPik

    Photo 2
    Image: A Man With a Beard in Black and White
    Image author: Unsplash
    Source: Freerange