Ruelaine Stokes, Lansing Poet Laureate, will launch the "We Are Water" Poetry Contest & give attendees a tour of the Tollgate Drain Wetlands, 1101 N. Fairview Ave., Lansing, MI, on Friday, August 15, 2025 at 5:30 PM.
The public is invited to gather at the SE entrance to Tollgate. Park your car in the Covenant Life Community Church parking lot and head for the east end of the tree line. We will begin to walk on the paths around the ponds, so if you arrive late, just look for us along the pathway.
The deadline for the contest will be midnight, Oct. 17, 2025.
Residents of the Tri-County Area, age 10 and older, are eligible to submit poems celebrating clean, drinkable water and/or the reasons people and wildlife are drawn to Tollgate Drain Wetlands.
Prizes: 5 winners will each receive $150 in addition to having their poems featured on Poetry Signs along the walking paths in the Tollgate Drain Wetlands.
You can submit up to 3 poems, each with no more than 25 lines.
Suggested themes: Water. The Tollgate Drain Wetlands. The ways in which humans and animals depend upon water, especially upon clean, drinkable water. The water cycle. An experience you've had with water in a natural environment. Your impressions of Tollgate and why it's important to the community. What draws visitors to Tollgate. Describe one or more visitors you see (human or animal). The importance of protecting Michigan's freshwater rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
Note to writers: Your poem may benefit if you write about a particular vivid experience. Clear, precise details and images help the reader "see" and "feel" what you are describing.
Submit each poem individually, by midnight Oct. 17, 2025 to
UG9ldHJ5UGF0aHdheTcxIHwgZ21haWwgISBjb20= Type your name in the Subject line, along with the title of your poem. Attach 2 copies of your poem to your email (each in a Microsoft Word document). One copy should contain your full name, your age, address, phone #, and email address. The other copy should not include any identifying information.
For full contest information, see:
https://www.ruelainestokes.com/
If you have questions, email:
UG9ldHJ5UGF0aHdheXM3MSB8IGdtYWlsICEgY29t
Also check out other Arts events in Lansing, Literary Art events in Lansing, Contests in Lansing.
