April brings spring winds, rainy days...and National Poetry Month!  This year, Kenosha Public Library (KPL) and the Kenosha/Racine Poets Laureate are celebrating by hosting an All-Ages Poetry Contest. 

If you’re a Kenosha County resident or KPL cardholder, you could win fame and fortune - or at least a little library glory.  Just write us a standout poem featuring this year’s theme!

This year’s theme…

…is OBJECTS TELL STORIES.

Focus your poem on an object or group of objects, and show your reader what makes them interesting, special, or unique.  Your poem doesn’t have to be about something extraordinary; feel free to tell an ordinary story in a beautiful way.

Objects should be physical and non-living (even if they were living in the past).  A skeleton or a half-eaten apple is okay; your dog or an apple tree isn’t.  Objects that were never alive, like toothbrushes*, rocks, or ice skates, are all welcome.

*Okay, the plastic that makes most toothbrushes comes from oil, which used to be dinosaurs, so in a very technical sense, toothbrushes were once alive millions of years ago.  Hey, that might be an interesting poem!

How does this work?

1. Belong to one of these age groups (hint: everybody does!):
   1. Younger Children (Grades PreK - 3)
   2. Older Children (Grades 4 - 6)
   3. Teens (Grades 7 - 12)
   4. Adults (Ages 18+)
2. Either live in Kenosha County or be a current Kenosha Public Library cardholder.  
3. Write a poem and submit it at any Kenosha Public Library location, including the Bookmobile, or enter online.
4. We’ll judge the entries and choose the best poems!

What are the rules?

1. You must write a poem of up to 20 lines.  We'd prefer a typed poem, but we will accept handwritten poems.
   • NOTE:  If you can't yet write, a grownup can write down your poem for you.
2. The theme for this year's contest is OBJECTS TELL STORIES. Your poem can be about anything you want, but it should involve a physical, non-living object with an interesting story.
   • NOTE:  Interesting doesn't have to mean exceptional!  Telling an ordinary story in a beautiful way - about your rain boots or the last car produced by a closing factory - is just as good as picking an unusual object or story.
3. One entry per participant.  Submit your best work!
4. Your poem must be your own original work.  No fanfiction and no AI assistance, please!
5. Your poem must use language that is library appropriate.

Poems that do not follow these rules will be disqualified.

Who’s judging?

Renowned local poets - the true experts! - will judge your poetry and select one winner from each age group.  

Your esteemed judges are:

• Thomas Carr, Racine Poet Laureate 2025-26
• Nico Moore, Kenosha Poet Laureate 2025-26 
• Jean Preston, Kenosha Poet Laureate 2014-15
• Mary Skillings, Racine Poet Laureate 2025-26

Want to learn more?  Check out…

• The Kenosha/Racine Poets Laureate website
• A radio interview with Thomas Carr, Nico Moore, and Mary Skillings
• Jean Preston’s poetry collections, Sixteen Mothers and Like a Small Bird Soaring

What can I win?

Winners will get to choose a poetry book to add to the Kenosha Public Library.  We’ll put a nameplate in the book letting everyone know you were the winner of the 2025 KPL Poetry Contest! If you give us permission, we’ll also publish your poem on the Kenosha Public Library website for all to read.

What else do I need to know?

• All entries must be received by 9:00 pm on  Wednesday, April 30th.
• Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, quality of writing, and adherence to contest rules. Judges' decisions are final.
• Entries will not be returned. Please make a copy of your poem before turning it in.
• Entries may be turned in at any branch of the library, including the Bookmobile, or submitted virtually.

If you have trouble uploading your entry, please email amyraeweaver@mykpl.info. 

We’ll be looking forward to your poems!