RP High School Poetry Prize
The Rockland Poets High School Poetry Prize is an annual prize awarded to poets attending high school in Rockland County, NY. The top prize amount for 2025 is $250.
Any students that attend high schools in Rockland County NY are eligible to apply. Applicants submit two original poems and a brief personal statement about their relationship to poetry. They may also optionally include a list of dates/locations that they've read their work in public. Limit one entry per person per year.
Applications are due at midnight on April 30th. Winners are notified sometime in May. Winners will be invited to our June poetry slam to read their poetry and receive a check for $100 to $250 (depending on the number of awardees) at the very beginning of the event.
Note that our poetry slams are open to all ages but are uncensored -- it's possible that you may hear strong/adult language or themes from other poets at the event. If this makes you or your family uncomfortable, it's completely okay to leave immediately after reading your poetry and receiving your prize money.
Past winners:
2024 - A.A.L., Clarkstown South Senior High School
something about/sour cherries
she smells sweet
her toxins amidst
my brain
clouds
the anticipation of sweetness
my tongue
burns with the
blood red gush
rips to yellow teeth
bitter sour billowing
my taste buds
repulsed by
something that
no amount of
teeth-brushing
listerine gargling
the taste
of her the taste
will stay
no matter
how much i beg
i plea
for it to
go
2023 - K. Saint-Cyr, North Rockland High School
Son of Mother Nature
His hair waved like the ocean
And his eyes were deeper, darker than space
His pimples and zits were the constellations over that night sky
Wind would gently blow out of his mouth when he whispers
Nature fights back and so did he
Though I am glad I did not decompose before I left his forest
Jaela
I never knew that I liked drag that much
But when we were sitting in that circle
When Jaela danced over and touched my hand
I didn't clap that much right after that
Because I began to cry
This stranger had so much love for the art
And for our little queer world
A world everyone in the room could rule together
Birchwood School
Clarkstown North Senior High School
Clarkstown South Senior High School
Nanuet Senior High School
North Rockland High School
Nyack Senior High School
Pearl River High School
Ramapo High School
Spring Valley High School
Suffern Senior High School
Tappan Zee High School