The Ontario Poetry Society

Open to Everyone

First Prize $100 Second Prize $75 Third Prize $50
20 Judge's Choice Awards
All Prize winning poems to be published in a chapbook anthology.
Every winner will receive one free copy for every poem selected for the book.
Every winner to receive a beautiful award certificate.
Cash prizes paid in Canadian Dollars only.

Rules and Guidelines:
Poems are to be no longer than 36 lines and the spaces between the stanza count as lines.
Poems with extra wide lines that need to be broken to fit the poem on the page are not accepted.
Poem title and space between the poem title and the body of the poem do not count as lines.

All styles welcome on the following themes:
We invite you to submit poems on the subject of hygiene. Poems on soaps, shampoos,
conditioners, aftershaves, toothpastes and other toiletries will be considered. Poems
that describe bathtubs, showers and other locations for washing will be welcome.
Personal rituals, reactions and responses to the pleasure and comfort associated
with washing in general will be happily received by the judge, as well as the daily
burden it might create. In contrast, please also send poems on poor grooming and
its implications, or poems associated with discomfort of any kind especially illness and
other physical complaints. Poems also accepted which elaborate on cleaning other items
including automobiles, windows, dishes, floors, clothing (laundry day), bathtubs and toilets.
Also "cleaning house" and all of the associations that go with that: cleaning up problems
in your life, doing an attitude adjustment, out with the old - in with the new, making a fresh start,
looking at things in a fresh way, getting off drugs, joining AA.

Poems may be previously published but no previous contest winning poems please.

Blind Judging:
No author I.D. to be anywhere on the same page as the poem, front or back.
Include a separate cover page with author name, complete postal mailing address,
including Apt. # and postal (or zip) code, tel. number, e-mail (if possible)
and poem titles or first lines of poems if no titles.

Contest Deadline: March 31st, 2016

Contest Entry Fee:
1 poem for $5 or 3 poems for $10
There is no limit to the number of submissions per poet.

Send submission with payment by cheque or personal money order to:
The Ontario Poetry Society,
#710 - 65 Spring Garden Ave.,
Toronto, Ont. M2N 6H9

Enclose a #10 s.a.s.e. (self-addressed stamped envelope) for the winners list
and you will also receive a $1 coupon to be used for a future T.O.P.S. contest.
Contest results will be posted on our website at www.theontariopoetrysociety.ca .

Contest Judge is Katherine L. Gordon