One of the dopest things about running a poetry contest is witnessing how a single poem can become the beginning of many others. Every submission to our first ever contest demonstrated the ways poets enter into conversation — with language, memory, themselves, and with one another. 

We are thrilled to share the winners and shortlisted poems, along with reflections from our guest judge, Nala Washington, whose thoughtful reading illuminated what made these poems resonate so deeply. 

Congratulations to every poet who trusted us with your work!

Winner: “Eraminhô” by Thom C. Addington 

In selecting “Ermaminhô” as the winning poem, Nala Washington was struck by the way it entered into dialogue with “Salt on the Envelope” by David Anson, while becoming wholly its own. 

“’Eraminhô’ expands the intimacy of the original poem by answering directly to its silence with flow and invocation. It moves from compression to expansion, from ‘unsent word’ to remembrance in wood, from a presumable lover’s absence to a kind of ancestral presence...The choice to craft the poem in tercets creates this intentional pacing; it’s breath-like, deliberate, and resisting the original grief. The language and syntax are bold, to be new, to be ‘rewombed.’ The speaker places the reader in a state of curious uncertainty, which is what makes the turn of the poem—the mother/daughter wedding image—startlingly beautiful. A risk that pays off. The original poem made a call, and ‘Eraminhô’ didn’t just respond; it’s answering.”

Nala’s comments capture exactly what made this poem stand apart: its willingness to take risks while remaining in conversation with the source material. Rather than echo the original, “Eraminhô” transforms it, discovering new emotional terrain through form, imagery, and voice. 

Runner-Up: “Only I” by Ilan Magnani 

Our runner-up, “Only I” impressed Nala with its ability to shift perspective from the poem’s very first line, creating an entirely new emotional landscape. 

“To begin with the same opening line as the original poem (“Does Lust Rust?” by Avery Graham) and immediately shift the emotionality behind it immediately intrigued me. It pivots from private confession to public setting, reframing the original’s intimacy. The speaker here can be found on the dance floor, painfully aware of the social self; what was once an ‘altar’ becomes a ‘party.’ ‘Only I’ inherits self-loathing and bodily tension from the original poem but translates it into something performative—one might say communal.”

“Only I” is a poem that shows how homage can also be reinvention, producing a piece that is witty, vulnerable, and deeply affecting. 

Shortlisted Poets

We also want to recognize our shortlisted poets, whose work left an impression on both our editorial team and Nala. Each poem offered a distinct perspective, surprising us with craft, imagination, and willingness to engage deeply with the source material. 

Congratulations to the following poets:

Michael Bickford, “Walking in a Field of Jade” 
Zizipho Godana, “The Girl Who Eats Silence”
Heidi L. Arnold, “The Backside of Loving You” 

Thank you for contributing such thoughtful, memorable work to this year’s contest. 

Our deepest thanks to Nala Washington for lending her care, time, and discerning eye to this year’s judging. Her contributions remind us that reading poetry is itself a creative act; an act that notices what a poem says and how it transforms the conversation around it. 

And to everyone who submitted: thank you for your craft and courage. We hope you’ll continue sharing your work with Mouthful of Salt and with our community. 

We can’t wait to read what you write next.