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Shō Poetry Journal

Established in 2002, revived in 2023

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Shō Poetry Journal is a nonprofit print journal emerging from a 20-year hibernation. We publish an eclectic range of poetry twice a year and publish audio features on a rolling basis. We strive to champion voices that have been historically underrepresented or overlooked. Browse a list of our contributors and follow us on Instagram for updates.

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A girl in a long white dress and a bird head mask sits on a bough under a full moon in a night forest landscape. Her hands are folded in her lap and her feet can't be seen. Text says: Shō Poetry Journal No. 7 Summer 2025.

CURRENT ISSUE

Shō No. 7

SUMMER 2025

This issue features 67 poems by 48 poets, including:

– Christian J. Collier (Winner, Shō Poetry Prize)
– Aldo Amparán (Shō Poetry Prize Runner-Up)
– Ohia, Ernest Chigaemezu (Winner, Sita Martin Prize)
– Nina C. Peláez (Sita Martin Prize Runner-Up)

Cover art: “Interim” by Tanya Rastogi.

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Online Features

  • Sep 4, 2025

    Samodh Porawagamage — Two postcard poems from To Punani Camp

  • Aug 18, 2025

    Nicholas Pierce — Two Sonnets from Pierce Junction

  • Jul 25, 2025

    Audio Feature: Jo Bear

  • Jul 24, 2025

    Audio Feature: Richard Collins

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Past Issues

Shō No. 6

Winter 2024/2025

Shō No. 6 features 57 poems by 40 poets.

Cover art: “In Gilded Walls” by Tanya Rastogi.

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Shō No. 5

Summer 2024

Shō No. 5 features 68 poems by 47 poets.

Cover art: “Lucy” by Harim Choi.

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Shō No. 4

Winter 2023/2024

Illustration of girl wearing a large deer head mask with antlers. She is clothed in a dark blue tshirt and pants and stands in a high desert landscape, holding plastic flowers. A ghostly girl’s head is placed beside her in the grass.

Shō No. 4 features 73 poems by 47 poets.

Cover art: “Girl with Deer Mask” by Harim Choi.

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Shō No. 3

Summer/Fall 2023

Shō No. 3 features 62 poems by 42 poets.

Cover art: “Grandfather Autumn” by Juanita Violini.

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Shō Poetry Journal on Instagram

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Listen to Karla Myn Khine read “Neophobia” fro Listen to Karla Myn Khine read “Neophobia” from Shō Poetry Journal No. 5 (Summer 2024).

About this poem: I recall being asked by a friend what my deepest fear was. I had never really thought about it before then, but as I thought more thoroughly about it, I soon realized that I was afraid of new. I’ve never liked making big decisions, the ones that you can’t come back from, or at least ones that are difficult to come back from–where to go to college, what car to buy, that kind of stuff. At the time of writing this poem, I was in the middle of something new. I had just moved to California from Texas, which was the biggest decision I had ever made in my life. I didn’t know anyone or the area. So I spent a lot of time just by myself, but in spite of that, I was hopeful. Potential was everywhere for me, especially on the blank page. This poem is about that process and learning to embrace newness and the inevitable change it brings with open arms.

Karla Myn Khine is a writer from South Texas, currently residing in Oakland. She is a graduate from San Francisco State’s MFA program, where she was a recipient of an Academy of American Poets University Award, the Daniel Langton Poetry Prize, and a Marcus Graduate Scholar. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Poetry Online, Driftwood Press, The Pinch, Poets.org, Shō Poetry Journal, and ANMLY. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Substack @bunrealism and more of her writing at karlakhine.com.

#fahm
We're kicking off Filipino American Heritage Month We're kicking off Filipino American Heritage Month with an audio feature from Akira Ritos. “Pag-Pag” appears in Shō No. 5 (Summer 2024).

Akira Ritos (they/them) is a lesbian Filipino-American and author of the poetry chapbook ALL OF THEM ALL OF THEM from @fifthwheelpress. They were previously published in Shō Poetry Journal, the anthology “We The Gathered Heat” from HayMarket Books, Marias At Sampaguitas, Yuzu Press, the lickety split, and more. Currently, they work as an educator and dream of writing the best lesbian vampire novel ever. Find them on Twitter and Instagram @adotocean.
October is Filipino American History Month, and we October is Filipino American History Month, and we’re excited to share a round-up of work from Shō Poetry Journal featuring:

・ Hannah Keziah Agustin @quichesiya (Shō No. 7)
・ Karla Myn Khine @bunrealism (Shō No. 5)
・ Akira Ritos @adotocean (Shō No. 5)
・ Elise Thi Tran @elise.tran (Shō No. 4)
・ MT Vallarta @__melkteaa (Shō No. 4)

Read/listen at the link in our bio or at tinyurl.com/shoFAHM25

Look out for features shared throughout the month!

#fahm
Annual notice! Swipe for instructions. #pushcartp Annual notice! Swipe for instructions.

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Publishing Stats

Since our revival issue was published in Summer 2023:

327

Poems Published

224

Total Poets Published

78

Audio Features Published

28

Poems Nominated for Prizes

1

Poem chosen for inclusion in Best Spiritual Literature

Shō Poetry Journal


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