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Moan and Mercy Writing Contest 2025
This year’s Moan and Mercy Writing Contest invited poets from around the world to explore the raw, radiant intersection of sensuality and soul. With our anthology Velvet Devotion, we sought poetry that trembled with tenderness, shimmered with longing, and pulsed with poetic intimacy.
From the very beginning, we knew this wasn’t about provocation—it was about presence.
Not shock, but sacred spark.
Not confession, but incantation.
Not madness, but moan.
We asked for vulnerability wrapped in velvet, desire adorned with depth, and language that lingered long after the final line. What we received was nothing short of spellbinding.
To all the poets who bared their hearts and whispered their longings into verse—thank you. You turned this collection into a devotional for dreamers and lovers alike.
Unveiling our most tantalizing anthology yet: Velvet Devotion ✨
Velvet Devotion is more than an anthology—it’s an altar. A gathering of sacred desires, quiet devastations, and lyrical awakenings.
To every poet who trusted us with their truth: thank you. You made this collection not only beautiful but brave.
We invite readers everywhere to lose themselves in the lines. Let each poem touch skin, stir heart, and haunt memory.
Keep moaning. Keep making magic.
— Wingless Dreamer Literary Team
A huge round of applause for the grand winner
VOID - LINA BUIVIDAVIČIŪTĖ!
About the Poem:
“Void” dives deep into identity, mimicry, and the psychological cost of adaptation. Through layered imagery and emotional intensity, Lina’s poem explores the haunting trauma of self-obliteration—a narrative shaped by borrowed beauty and learned behavior. The poem lingers with a quiet devastation, revealing not just what is lost, but what is continually hidden.
About the Author:
Lina Buividavičiūtė (b. May 14, 1986) is a Lithuanian poet and literary critic. She is the author of three poetry collections in her native language and an established voice in international literary circles. Her work has appeared in Matter, Masters, Drunk Monkeys, The Dewdrop, Poets Choice, Cathexis Northwest Press, Poetry Online, Versopolis, and more. Forthcoming publications include New Millennium Writings, Quillkeepers Press, and The Stardust Review. Lina’s poetry bridges the cerebral and the sensual, offering profound reflections on femininity, identity, and transformation.
Cue the confetti for the first Runner-Up
THE GIRL FROM IPAMEMA - BRENDAN PRANIEWICZ
About the Poem:
This lyrical, aching elegy to a lost muse echoes with bossa nova rhythms and bittersweet nostalgia. Brendan’s poem is a love letter to longing itself, where Veloso bar and Guanabara Bay serve as the backdrop for a relationship unravelling. The cadence of Jobim meets modern heartbreak, and the result is a haunting serenade that lingers like a ghost in the heat of a Rio summer.
About the Author:
Brendan Praniewicz earned his MFA in Creative Writing from San Diego State University in 2007. A seasoned educator and writer, Brendan has taught creative writing across colleges in San Diego. His work has appeared in From Whispers to Roars, Tiny Seed Journal, That Literary Review, and The Dallas Review. He received second place in the Seven Hills Review Chapter Competition (2019), won the Rilla Askew Short Fiction Contest (2020), and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize (2023). Connect with him at brendan-praniewicz.com or on Instagram @praniewicz.
Thuds of claps for the second runner-up
THE POETRY OF YOU by AMEYTHIST MORELAND
About the Poem:
Ameythist’s work is an exquisite meditation on embodiment, intimacy, and discovery—each stanza unravels as both reverence and revelation. The speaker reads their lover like scripture, mapping skin as metaphor and desire as devotion. It’s a poem that turns sensuality into scholarship, burning with curiosity and aching with awe.
About the Author:
Ameythist Moreland holds a B.S. in English, Language, and Health from Western Michigan University. She is the author of two new-adult science fiction novels and an emerging voice in contemporary poetry. Her work has been featured in various journals, anthologies, and magazines. To explore more of her writing, visit www.ameythistmoreland.com.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
We’re thrilled to recognize a few standout finalists whose work left a lasting impression. Their poems shimmered with depth, daring, and lyrical mastery:
• AMOUREUSE by Andy Betz
• THE STAGES OF A SEX LIFE by C.W. Bigelow
• FEATHERS & LEATHERS by Nicole Antillon
We can’t wait to read more from these powerful voices.
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