Contests

New Poetry Contest: Summer Night

What could be more pleasant than lying in a field on a warm summer night watching the stars go by, like the kids on our cover? Whether you’re telling stories around a campfire, chasing fireflies with friends, or listening to the night songs of thousands of crickets, summer evenings can be magical. For this month’s contest, everybuggy would love to see you best poem inspired by a summer night.

Maybe you will ponder the mysteries of space as you gaze into the night sky, or marvel at how ancient people crossed great oceans guided by the stars. You might imagine an astronomer making a thrilling discovery, or dream of exploring the galaxies yourself, even riding a spaceship to the stars. Or perhaps you will write about having fun with your friends and family on a summer evening—playing flashlight tag in the backyard, toasting s’mores at camp, gathering for a picnic and fireworks in the park, eating hot dogs at a night baseball game, or playing board games on a screened-in porch while vacationing at the beach.

Whether you write about the moon rising over a meadow, wishing on a shooting star, or escaping an army of determined mosquitoes, everybuggy will be shining their flashlights around the Cricket Country mailbox as they await the midnight delivery of your best poem—of 24 lines or less, please—inspired by a summer night.

  • (Show Rules)
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    1. Your contest entry must be your very own original work. Ideas and words should not be copied.

    2. Your entry must be signed by your parent or guardian, stating that it is your own work, that no help was given, and that Cricket has permission to publish it in the magazine and on our website. 

    3. Be sure to include your name, age, and full address on your entry.

    4. Only one entry per person, please.

    5. If you want your work returned, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each entry.

    6. Your entry must be received by July 25, 2022.

    7. Send entries to Cricket League, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354. (No faxes or email submissions, please!)

    8. We will publish winning entries in the November/December 2022 issue and on the Cricket website.