For my daughters, Time has slipped from my grasp as it seems only just a few moments ago, you were running around the house, blanket in hand, like superheroes preparing to save the world. The tiny pitter patter sounds your …
SITREP Poetry Contest Spring 2026
Submit your writing by Monday, March 30! SITREP is now accepting submissions for our Spring 2026 Poetry Contest! SITREP Literary and Arts Journal showcases the unique perspectives and talents of our Colorado Springs military community. This contest is made possible …
The Light That Lingers by Gabby Bryant
From morning until night,You gave it your all.Ensuring comfort, offering care,A love so steady, always there.You gave it your allIn lessons taught, in kindness shared,In knowing when to give,And showing how to love.Through moments of struggle,Through doubts and heavy days,You …
The Seeds of Salvation by John Christensen
The seeds of salvationEncased in a tombSealed there in waxFor flames to consume.Yearning in enchantmentFor disaster, they plead.Dormant and patient,Sit several small seeds.Ages and agesThey still do lie.White lightning streaksAcross the night sky.Tall timbers creakPossessed with disease.Needles snap dryly,Under foot, …
Blooming from Decay by Thomas Palma
Roses in open air,Bathing in the sun’s glare,Wither and die,Till nearly dry.The sun bears relentlessly down,While in heat the roses drown.One by one, are clipped,From their lifeforce, ripped.The bush, lonely without friends,Waits for Summer’s end.At Spring’s next dew,So comes roses …
Decay in Bloom by Fallon Ruth Parsons
We don’t need higher wallsWe need deeper rootsIn the cracks of concreteA seed breaks loose Stuck in a cageRotting awayBut never let the rotDecay you away Decay becomes soilBroken down and nourished more than everNot just rotten, spoiled Bring in …
Spiraling by Heather Keebaugh
trapped, trapped in the spiral I see a group of friends playing laughing having fun there’s an opening to join but the anxiety says shut yourself out I listen to my fears, I keep myself an outsider, never failing but …
Come Alive by William Stoddard
I have looked death in its face,So close I brushed it with my fingertips.Then I turned and walked away.Now I know what death is, and what it is not.I know what matters in life and what does not.I gave life …
Hold Strong by Autumn Dodge
Hold strong, Hold tight. Don’t let go, Even when the winds blow wild. Stand firm. Stay true, For those who lean on you. In all you do, There is meaning. Someone sees, Someone knows. And though you may not see …
Expectations by Jaiden Grunkemeyer
I feel an ache deep in my soulI feel like I’m losing controlI sense colors all around my faceMy thoughts take me through all time and spaceI feel as though I’m losing my gripOne more second thought and I might …