Give a standing ovation for our grand winner who is:

WE ARE A COSMO FLOWER IN MY PALM - MAGGIE BOWYER

Maggie Bowyer (they/he) is a poet, cat parent, and the author of various poetry collections including Homecoming (2023) and When I Bleed (2021). They have been featured in The Abbey Review, Chapter House Journal, The Elevation Review, The South Dakota Review, Wishbone Words, and more. They were the Editor-in-Chief of The Lariat Newspaper, a quarterfinalist in Brave New Voices 2016, and a Marilyn Miller Poet Laureate.
You can find their work on Instagram @maggie.writes
Let's make a toast for our first runner-up. The first runner-up is:

METAMORPHOSIS - JASMINE ERICE-HARLING

Jasmine Erice-Harling is an aspiring author and published poet, publishing their book "The Anatomy of Fire: Life, Death, and the Uncanny In-between". Obsessed with all things Nature, Mythology, Macabre and Mental Health, she often combines these themes to make power-house poetry commenting on this wonderful thing we call life.

Blow the trumpet. The second runner-up is:

LOONG YEAR - YUNA KANG

Yuna Kang is a queer, Korean American writer based in Northern California. She has been published in journals such as Strange Horizons, Sinister Wisdom, and many more. Their work has been published in multiple languages. They were also nominated for the 2022 Dwarf Stars Award, as well as the 2024 Best New Poets Award. Their website link is: https://kangyunak.wixsite.com/website

A huge round of applause for our top finalists:

ROCK N’ ROLL AND PRAIRIE FIRE - CODY BAGGERLY

Cody Baggerly has been featured in multiple volumes of the ECU literary journal, Originals, and has been a featured editor for one volume. He is a Woody Guthrie Festival poet, Scissortail Festival poet and has had work featured in Rising Phoenix Review, the Dublin California Poetry Walk and the NoSleep Podcast.

ASHEN LEAVES - AMAYA GENTRY

Amaya Gentry is a poet who writes about whatever inspires her. Be it a random string of words or art, she always finds a way to turn those into a poem.

SAPLING - ASHLEY MASCHARKA

Ashley Mascharka is a recent college graduate looking to throw herself into the stars just to see where she lands. She’s a poet, an aspiring author, and a novice grant writer. She hopes to use her writing not just to create the fantastical worlds she dreams up, but to improve the world she currently lives in. You can find her on most social media sites as @ashtheselkie.

NATURALLY...- DOUGLAS COLSTON

Douglas Colston hails from Australia, has played in Ska bands, married his love, fathered two great children and among other things (before being diagnosed with a disabling neurological condition), pursued a PhD he hoped would provide a positive contribution to the zeitgeist. Having been a former Pushcart nominee, in addition to other Wingless Dreamer anthologies, his nonfiction, fiction and poetry has appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including: POETiCA REViEW; Impspired; and Revue {R}évolution.

NEW HAMPSHIRE - ERIN KRONCKE

Erin Kroncke is a writer and artist living in Los Angeles, California. Her work has been published in Spotlight and Inscape Magazine, The PCC Courier and The Closed Eye Open. Her short films have been featured in The Topanga Film Festival, Planet 9 Film Festival as well as The Lift-Off Film Festival. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR - JAMES B. NICOLA

James B. Nicola is a frequent contributor to WD anthologies. The latest of his eight collections of poetry is Natural Tendencies—coincidentally, a collection of nature poems, roots and leaves and all. His nonfiction book Playing the Audience: The Practical Actor’s Guide to Live Performance won a Choice magazine award.

ODE TO THE SALMON THAT LANDED IN LOOKINGGLASS CREEK - ROSALIE HENDON

Rosalie Hendon (she/her) is a city forester living in Columbus, Ohio. Her work is published in The Ravens Perch, Quibble Lit, Sad Girls Club Lit, Pollux Journal, Blue Bottle Journal, and Willawaw Journal, among others. Rosalie is inspired by ecology, relationships, and stories passed down through generations.