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The Best Poems of 2025: Winners of the 14th Annual SCP International Poetry Competition
Judges
C.B. Anderson, Susan Jarvis Bryant, Margaret Coats, Evan Mantyk, Reid McGrath,
Patricia Rogers Crozier, Joseph S. Salemi, Adam Sedia, James A. Tweedie, Brian Yapko
Based on the poems, all written in 2025, excluding poems by judges, submitted by poets employing the finest, classical traditions of English poetry, below are the best poems of the past year and their ranking:
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First Place ($2,000)
“Galahad_2000”
Josh Olson, North Carolina, United States.
Second Place
“Bleed, Saxon Blood”
Theresa Werba, Pennsylvania, United States
“The New Satanic Mills”
Paul Martin Freeman, United Kingdom.
Third Place
“The Grindstone”
Michael Pietrack, Colorado, United States
“February Fog in Abu Dhabi”
Paul A. Freeman, Abu Dhabi
“Magic Show, North Country”
Nancy Brewka-Clark, Massachusetts, United States
“The Elements Within”
Cheryl Corey, Connecticut, United States
“Silent Movies”
Cheryl Corey, Connecticut, United States
Fourth Place
“The Final Cricket”
Cynthia Erlandson, Michigan, United States
“Where You Sang to Me”
Paul Buchheit, United States
“The Highway of Bones”
Maura H. Harrison, Virginia, United States
“Watercolors”
Susan Steele Rives, Missouri, United States
“Vilnius Opera, 1995”
Monika Cooper, Florida, United States
“Rain and Snow on Christmas Day”
Lauren V. Leon, California, United States
“Practicing Brahms”
Mary Jane Myers, Illinois, United States
“Melampus: The Listener”
Dusty Grein, Washington State, United States
“History’s Rondel”
Cynthia Erlandson, Michigan, United States
Honorable Mentions
“Bird Song” by Stephanie Holden
“Upon Seeing a Stump Where a Tree Once Was” by Conor McGinley
“On Time” by Kevin Ahern
“The Ground of Being” by Josh Mitteldorf
“Longfellow” by Kevin Parks
“Wall of Ice” by James Bontrager
“A World of Two Hemispheres” by Paul A. Freeman
“Not All Angels Play the Harp” by Roy E. Peterson
“Ishtoka” by Braden Chevalier
“The Measure of a Woman (or a Man)” by Paul A. Freeman
“An Open Book” by David McMahon
“To Once Have Been Immortal” by Paul Buchheit
“After Putting a Poetry Anthology in a Blender” by Tony Peyser
“Village” by Jan Mennite
“The Bartender” by Mark Stellinga
“What Is a Man?” by Cynthia Erlandson
“If I Could But Touch His Hem” by Rohini Sunderam
“Why Did I Kiss You?” by Mark F. Stone
“When from the Damning Writs” by Ted Hayes
“The Time to Give Him Thanks” by Roger Crane
“Mac Modernist” by Joshua Thomas
“One Dumb Mistake” by M.D. Skeen
“I Would Say Yes” by Gigi Ryan
Congratulations, Josh, I like this narrative very much.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Yes, Congratulations to All! Looking forward to
reading the poems.
Congratulations to all the highly talented contest winners — especially to Josh Olson whose poem was beautifully crafted and utterly unique.
Congrats Josh and the other winners! I hope everyone will check out my review of Michael Solot’s translation of The Odyssey that was recommended by Evan in the monthly newsletter (at the Midwest Book Review). An endeavor of exceptional quality by the SCP!!! Get it, read it, and enjoy!!!
A large number of excellent submissions this year making the selection process both a challenge and a pleasure. Congrats to all, and to Josh for “Gallahd_2000,” a poem (echoing E.A. Robinson’s “Miniver Cheevy”) well-deserving of this years’ prize.
Congrats to Josh, Theresa, Paul and others. I am really enjoying reading many of these. A very strong set this year.
Congrats to all the top contenders and long-listers and especially to Josh.
This time of reading, the lines: “The happy shrieks of children playing in the snow / Were drowned out by the screaming of the sundered…” really struck home.
Yesterday, at the supermarket, I saw two small kids in a pushchair, both on their tablets, though one kept looking around for her Mum who was shopping without the burden of dragging her children around with her, the burden of bonding with her children, the burden of teaching them numbers and choice-making. Gawd ‘elp us!
Josh’s poem remined me of the above incident.
Again congrats to all, and thanks for to the judges for their great effort and consideration.
Thank you to Evan, all of the judges, and those who do all the work on the website, for making this contest possible!
Congratulations to all the contest winners!
And to Josh, extra big congratulations. Not only did you write a wonderful poem, you captured the spirit of being young and in love in the early 21st century!
Thank you, all, for your kind words. And yes, I echo Cynthia’s comment: a big thank you to the judges for all their work to make this contest possible!
Congratulations to all, especially to Josh whose striking and thoroughly engaging poem will sing to many, I am sure.