
Homecoming
Share a poem inspired by what "home" means to you.
Prizes
- First place:
- $5,000
- Second place:
- $2,500
- Third place:
- $1,000
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Sep 01, 2021
Submissions closed
Sep 22, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 06, 2021
Prizes
- First place:
- $5,000
- Second place:
- $2,500
- Third place:
- $1,000
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Sep 01, 2021
Submissions closed
Sep 22, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 06, 2021
About this challenge
Home, a four letter word that is so common yet resonates differently with everyone. What does "home" mean to you? Is it a feeling, a person, a place? The most common answer is a city, a town, a street where you grew up—a place you retreat to at the end of each day. However, home can also be a loved one's embrace, a furry friend at your feet, a cup of warm tea.
For this Challenge, we want you to submit a poem, between 100 and 2,000 words, telling us what home means to you. Whether your home is a physical safe-haven or defined by simple, blissful moments, we want to know what brings you back to your center. Enter the Challenge and share your poetry for a chance to win prizes up to $5,000!
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 100 and 2,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until September 21, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Homecoming Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://customer-opinion.top/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or third place prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.
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Challenge resources
Mismatch Challenge Winners
Blending genres isn’t about stacking elements side by side. It’s about what happens when two sets of expectations refuse to cooperate. The strongest entries in the Mismatch Challenge understood that tension and leaned into it. Rather than smoothing the edges, these stories let their chosen genres complicate one another, creating friction that carried through voice, structure, and consequence.
By Vocal Curation Team14 days ago in Resources
Public Announcement Challenge Winners
For the Public Announcement Challenge, writers were asked to work inside voices built for control. These were notices, warnings, and updates meant to inform rather than confess. The strongest entries committed to that form and didn't break from it. Corporate memos, formal government alerts, and internal policy language were held consistently, allowing emotion, fear, grief, or humor to surface indirectly through pressure rather than declaration. The following poems recognize the voice of authority, and let human feeling slip through despite all its rules and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team19 days ago in Resources






