AFTER/THOUGHT POETRY CONTEST: “THE THAW”

Spring is supposed to be about hope.
But sometimes it’s just the mind warming up enough to feel everything again.

For our spring contest, we want poems that interpret what spring means to the human mind—renewal, relapse, tenderness, dread, hunger, bright light cast on old bruises. Give us the thaw. Give us the private weather. Give us the words that haunt you.

Prizes

• First Prize: $200
• Second Prize: $100

Entry Fee

• $15 (helps fund prizes and publication)

What to send

• Up to 3 poems per entry (single document)
• Previously unpublished (no personal sites/blogs/social posts)

How to submit (Duotrope-only)
This contest must be submitted through Duotrope.
We’ll only accept entries that come in via our Duotrope listing/submission link.
Email submissions will be declined for the contest.

Dates

• Submissions open: March 18, 2026
• Deadline: May 10, 2026
• Results: May 20, 2026

Publication
Winning poems will be published in After/Thought and in our upcoming print anthology and be slipped some cold, hard cash.