Bookhabit.com, in association with the New Zealand Poetry Society, is staging an international poetry competition that celebrates written and performance poetry. Total prizes amount to U.S. $2,600.

Here are some specs:

• Free Entry. Accepting written, audio and video submissions. Open to all categories, ages and countries.
• The competition began September 22. Entries must be submitted before November 2.
• Each week 100 poems advance to the second round, so don’t wait until the closing date to submit your entries.

Visit their competition page to learn more and submit your work. Good luck.

When the bus is tight
like this
your best bet
is to make friends
or find a window
to watch.

I’m by Bob
in his golfing pants
and burnt brown shirt.
His legs hurt,
eyes too
and the meds
keep his head
numb enough
to make it.

He’s a vet, asks me
to guess the war
and nods
when I get to Korea.

His wife’s dead
but she’s around,
hears a shuffle of feet
and sometimes
the chimes out back
by the bees she kept.

She hasn’t transferred yet.
Some souls
get stuck between,
her’s too good
for heaven or here
so what’s the use?

Some nights
she’s in her chair
rocking thru sleep.
Suddenly she’s here,
my lap her seat.

Bob asks
to hold my hand.
Sure.
We do through
the next five stops,
even as the bus clears,
spots open,
more bodies off
until I am too,
and he waves
See you soon.