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Op-Ed:  Calling all opinionated poets

On Sunday, Aug. 31, The Times' Opinion section will run a page of opinionated poetry, and we're inviting submissions.
On Sunday, Aug. 31, The Times’ Opinion section will run a page of opinionated poetry, and we’re inviting submissions.
(Anthony Russo / For The Times)
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Last year, when we asked readers to submit opinion poetry, we were overwhelmed. More than 1,500 poets answered the call, many with multiple entries. The poems we received dealt with every issue of the day, including the war on terror, the economy, the nanny state, student debt and the inability of so many politicians to keep their pants zipped. After reading more than 5,000 poems, we were exhausted. But we were so happy with the end result that we’ve decided to do it all over again.

So, now’s your chance. Are you frustrated with how the president is doing his job? Irked at the Supreme Court’s recent spate of rulings? Keen on the new pope? Furious at City Hall? Put it in a poem.

On Sunday, Aug. 31, The Times’ Opinion section will run a page of opinionated poetry, and we’re inviting submissions. So pick up your pen and register your opinion in the form of a haiku or a sonnet or a limerick. We’ll welcome whatever the muse inspires, whether it’s rhyming doggerel or blank verse — but this time we’ll only read one poem per entrant.

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There aren’t strict rules, and this isn’t a contest. The Opinion editors will select what we consider to be the best poems to showcase. Any subject appropriate for an Op-Ed is fair game for your Op-Poetry — politics, culture, international relations, you name it. But this is the Opinion section, so make sure you’re expressing an opinion about something that’s happening in the world. Humor is welcome; foul or offensive language is not. And brevity will be greatly appreciated.

Submissions should be emailed to opinionpoetry@latimes.com by Aug. 11. Include your name, address and phone number with your submission. And remember: We have a strict limit of one poem per person, and if you send more than one we will consider only the first one received.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion

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