The PennZone

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - PennZone -- Glenn Lyvers, the Johnstown, Pennsylvania poet and editor behind Prolific Press Inc., has received 2nd Place in the Gardening category of the Arizona State Poetry Society's 2026 Annual Contest for his poem "Volunteer."

The contest was open to poets nationwide from June 1 to August 31, 2026, and was judged by qualified poetry judges from outside the society. Winning poems will appear in the society's 2026 Sandcutters anthology, expected in print by the end of December.

"Volunteer" takes its title from the gardener's word for a plant that comes up on its own. The poem follows one such seedling that appears in the gravel of a driveway, right where it shouldn't be, and the small daily choices that follow from deciding to let it live.

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"It's a small poem about a small thing," Lyvers said. "Thank you to the Arizona State Poetry Society for this honor, and even more for all the work they do to support poets and the writing community."

Lyvers also encouraged readers to get involved closer to home. "If you love poetry, please consider joining or supporting your own state poetry society," he said. "Most of them are run by volunteers, too."

The Arizona State Poetry Society is a statewide nonprofit founded in 1965 and affiliated with the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. It runs annual and member poetry contests, supports poets of all ages, and publishes the annual Sandcutters anthology.

Glenn Lyvers is an American poet, editor, and publisher in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He has edited more than 150 literary journal issues and more than 75 books and chapbooks, and his most recent poetry collection is Riding the Short Line.

Learn more about Glenn Lyvers: https://glennlyvers.com/about.php

Arizona State Poetry Society: https://azpoetry.net/