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POETRY submissions REopen DECEMBER 15

Shō Poetry Journal

Established in 2002, revived in 2023

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Robert Okaji

Black and white: A mixed-race white-Japanese man in contemplation by a sunny window. He wears a collared print shirt and a pair of glasses perched on his nose.

Robert Okaji – The Starlings Were You [Shō Poetry Prize Winner]

Jun 1, 2025 · Shō Poetry Journal

“The Starlings Were You” by Robert Okaji, Winner of the Shō Poetry Prize for Shō No. 6 (Winter 2024/25).

Morning was a jaundiced memory,
a burnished smear on the kettle
shrilling its warning.

Black and white: A mixed-race white-Japanese man in contemplation by a sunny window. He wears a collared print shirt and a pair of glasses perched on his nose.

Audio Feature: Robert Okaji

Nov 23, 2024 · Shō Poetry Journal

When I say moon, I recall brown calves lowing / at night, sheltered under their mothers' calm grace / in star-studded pastures.

Publishing Stats

Since our revival issue was published in Summer 2023:

327

Poems Published

224

Total Poets Published

98

Audio Features Published

42

Poems Nominated for Prizes

2

Poems chosen for inclusion in Best Spiritual Literature

Shō Poetry Journal


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