Fellow poets (and people in general):
I recently was preparing to submit several poems to a poetry contest. I read the posted guidelines several times, and, due to the stipulated maximum lines per poem, I switched one stellar poem for a shorter one, ensured I had followed the guidelines to the letter, paid the submission fee, then submitted the poems.
One of the poems I submitted was shortlisted, then subsequently chosen by the final judge as the second place winner.
I was pleased and honored. I bragged on social media. I had my friends read the announcement, which included the winning and honorable mention poems.
However, someone I know with a keen eye pointed out to me that the first place winning poem had not followed the guidelines with respect to the line limit.
The author of the first place poem was notified of their error and had the opportunity to gracefully withdraw their poem. They did not.
Morally, my poem should have been given the first place prize. This was even one of the options the contest sponsor had originally proposed, once I pointed out the issue.
To make a long story short, the contest sponsor retained a lawyer and decided that guidelines are not rules, and that the winning poem was "close enough" to the guidelines that they would not change the results.
Close enough.
Just saying.
