Happy Wednesday, readers, writers, and shark fans!
This morning, I discovered we had a little bit of a social media mishap, in that our posts did not post, so we celebrated Shark and Ray Awareness Day (actually July 14th) a day late with all of you. I’m so glad to mention it and plan to do more around July 14th in the future, as sharks and rays remain among the most under-protected species in the ocean, despite their importance to their environments.
Now, I want to swivel into today’s news, which is Lit Shark’s Next Poem of the Month! Just like our previous month, there were many incredible pieces, and I’m delighted to have a chance to read so much important work and to be able to give it a home, sometimes in our literary magazine and sometimes as a broadside.
July’s Honorable Mention!
As I said earlier, many lovely pieces were submitted for the Poem of the Month contest, but I was especially drawn to one.
Khadija Ceesay – “Elegy for Tokitae”
This poem closely examines the final moments of Tokitae’s life in a tragically visceral, raw, and anthropomorphic portrayal. It’s an important poem because of its gut-punching honesty, and it’s an incredible poem for its writing style, cadence, and lyricism. I’m grateful “Elegy for Tokitae” found its home with Lit Shark and that we can continue to advocate for these great animals, even in a small way.
Khadija’s poem will appear in Issue 12 of Lit Shark Magazine: The SHARK WEEK Edition, and it will appear again in Lit Shark’s Best Of 2025-2026 Anthology, coming out in November 2026. I can’t wait for you all to read it!
And July’s Winner Is…
I am so pleased to share the latest in our Poem of the Month contest series! Thank you for all of your love, support, and interest in the contest! There were many incredible submissions, and I am very pleased to share that the winner of our July Poem of the Month is Nadia Khan, who writes poetry that is all at once lovely, approachable, and laced with memorable imagery.
Nadia’s winning poem is no exception. I found myself immediately drawn to the work’s call for inspiration, for chasing your dreams, and for life. In particular, there’s an image of jellyfish floating like hot air balloons that I’ve not been able to get out of my mind since, imagining the horizon line glittering with opalescent beings, caught in the morning light and competing with the early dusk stars. It’s a touching poem that can speak to anyone, and I’m so grateful it found its home with Lit Shark.
Like Khadija’s poem, Nadia’s poem will appear in Issue 12 of Lit Shark Magazine: The SHARK WEEK Edition, and it will appear again in Lit Shark’s Best Of 2025-2026 Anthology, coming out in November 2026.
About Nadia Khan:
Nadia Khan is a writer from Allahabad, India. Her work has appeared in Ghudsavar Literary Magazine, London Writers’ Salon’s Writers’ Hour Magazine, and Lit Shark Magazine’s The Spooky (Teeth) Edition. She plans on slowly dipping her feet in writing short stories over the summer.
“Carry Your Dreams” by Nadia Khan
CARRY YOUR DREAMS
The clock struck five melting, time evaporating
not up in vapor but down into the ocean.
At the horizon jellyfishes rocketed up
like hot air balloons.
This is how I wish to be,
alone in a half-woken world.
I see red twinkling in the middle of rain storms,
but red lights hardly mean stop signs.
I want you to take your chances.
I want you to buzz the buzzer.
“Carry Your Dreams” Broadside Created by McKenzie Lynn Tozan
For each contest, the winner will receive a unique digital broadside of their winning poem, and the one I created can be found below. When I read this poem, I was swallowed whole by the imagery of the jellyfish rocketing up like hot air balloons. I imagined their opalescent bodies floating straight up out of the ocean, breaking the surface, drops of water rolling off of their smooth domes, as they floated into the atmosphere, competing with the colors, clouds, and stars in the sky. I wanted to recreate that feeling for this broadside, and I wanted to focus on pastel sky colors for that “half-woken world” feeling, the sky still waking up while this magical phenomenon occurs. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed making it.
I hope you enjoyed this month’s Poem of the Month winner and broadside! If you’d like to see our past winners, you can see them collected here.
We also have them available to purchase, as well as commissions for broadsides outside of the Poem of the Month contest, on our Lit Shark Shop!
On the Lookout For the Next Winner!
If you’d like to be considered for our August Poem of the Month, please submit your poems for consideration as soon as possible! The absolute deadline for August is Friday, July 31st, 2026, but submissions are always open, so if you miss the deadline, you’ll be considered for the month after.
One winner will be selected, and they will receive $20, a unique digital broadside of their winning poem, mentions on our social media and our website, a feature in our next issue of Lit Shark Magazine, and automatic inclusion in our annual Best Of Anthology.
Honorable Mentions will also be considered. They will receive a mention on our social media and website, and they will be featured in the next issue of Lit Shark Magazine, also including automatic inclusion in our annual Best Of Anthology.
Submitting to the Poem of the Month contest also counts as a general submission, so even if your work isn’t selected as a winner or honorable mention, your work may still be picked up for an upcoming issue! With it being free to enter, what do you have to lose?
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