Attend and be alert, local high-school scribes: Bucks County Community College seeks your lyricism, imagination, creativity, wit, romantic inclinations, and facility of verse in its 2022 poetry contest.

The competition, the 35th in the college’s history, is open to area students in grades 9–12. They can either attend a Bucks County high school or be the recipient of a home-school education.

Only prior winners are disqualified. Sorry, overachieving junior Shakespeares.

Valid entries comprise three original works and the required accompanying paperwork.

Dr. Ethel Rackin oversees the competition. She is a language and literature professor at the college and director of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program, which runs the event.

“Entering the High School Poet of the Year contest may give students a chance to discover and develop a talent they may not have realized they had,” she said.

“Mentioning the contest, public reading, and anthology on college applications will demonstrate initiative, writing skills, and public speaking experience. Clearly, there’s a lot to gain from entering this contest.”

The winner receives:

• $300 in prize money
• A proclamation from the Bucks County Board of Commissioners
• The opportunity to read his or her work at a public reception

Runners-up and contest finalists will also read aloud at the public event.

The deadline for entries is March 11.