Deep Water
In 2016, in collaboration with the MWPA, then Portland Poet Laureate Gibson Fay-LeBlanc launched Deep Water, a weekly poetry column for the Maine Sunday Telegram. In the fall of 2019, Portland poet and editor Megan Grumbling took over the selection and editing of each week’s poem. Each edition of Deep Water includes a brief introduction by Grumbling contextualizing the week’s poem.
Like a beach with a sudden drop-off, the best poems put you in the cold ocean without warning: the sand under your feet falls away, your heart thuds in your chest, and it’s all you can do to stay afloat. The column focuses on poems with deep water in them, in their sudden change in temperature, in their ability to grab a reader’s attention, and in their marriage of form and content.
Submissions
Submissions are open through December 31, 2024 for the 2025 Series.
Submission Guidelines
Most poems chosen will be 35 lines or less, including stanza breaks.
Please submit 3–5 poems, and include a cover letter with a brief bio.
Submissions must be made via Submittable. If you do not have a Submittable account, you will be required to register for a free account.
Poems may be submitted by Maine poets on any subject matter, or by non-Mainers writing about Maine, or poems published by Maine publishers.
Previously published poems may be submitted but must be noted as such.
Please be aware that a poem with complex lineation may be difficult to reproduce precisely, and that longer lines may need to be broken up in formatting for the column.
Please note: As simultaneous submissions and previously published works are eligible, you will only receive a response if and when your poem is accepted for inclusion in Deep Water. If you have not received word of acceptance in the course of 12 months, you can safely withdraw your submission.
Deep Water is made possible by:
