Yemipoet April Poetry Contest’26 A Picture Prompt Contest

The Yemipoet April Poetry Contest invited poets to write from a picture shared on Instagram.

Using the image as inspiration, participants were asked to think about what they saw and create their own stories from it.

Each poem had to be written in three stanzas with a total of fifteen lines. This helped poets stay clear and focused while expressing their ideas. Through this, many different thoughts and feelings were shared, all from one single picture.

Submission Process

Contest Announced:1st April, 2026  

Submissions Closed: 9th April, 2026  

All entries were submitted through the official website @www.yemipoetproduction.com

Total Entries: 152 submissions were received from poets across diverse backgrounds  

Evaluation and Winners

Entries were carefully reviewed based on how real they felt, the emotions they expressed, and how well they reflected the picture prompt. Thirty strong entries were first selected as the Top 30. From these, ten poets were chosen as the Top 10, and from there, three poets emerged as the Top 3, taking first, second, and third place.

Top 3 winners’ spotlight

First Place 

Name: Johnson Aderinmola Defiance

Title: Not Defeat

Second Place

Name:  Tuoye Palmer

Title: The Child Beneath Their Progress

Third Place

Name: Gabriella Ezeh 

Title: The Crown of Leather

Winners award

The total cash prize of ₦90, 000 was shared among the Top 3 winners.

Community Impact & Highlights

In addition to the monthly contest, the Yemipoet team revisited a poem from the March contest themed The Night I Stopped Apologizing.

The poem had first received a low score, but after careful editing, especially improving its use of figurative language, it rose to a score of 77%. This showed the community how simple craft elements like metaphor, imagery, and symbolism can make a poem stronger and more effective.

The Yemipoet Facebook community also stayed active during the month. A poem from the group, From Ashes by Racheal Ajisafe, was featured on the official page, helping us reach and engage more readers beyond the website.

Appreciation 

We appreciate Yemipoet, the pioneer of this vision, and the Yacso Foundation for their continued support in growing poetry. To our poets and readers, thank you for staying with us.

See you in the next edition.

Summary Blog Written by: Oreoluwa Odusina

Edited by: Adetutu Oluwapelumi-Deuel