What to Submit?
Compose a NEW (dated 14 May 2026 onwards) maximum 30-line poem—keeping the lines short and punchy, i.e. don’t wonder off into prose—LAMPOONING one of the 20 conspiracy theory topics LISTED ON MY BLOG* that you wish to satirise. PLEASE stick to these topics otherwise we will be here all day…
The 20 topics are listed in boldface under the categories: Some ‘Popular’ Conspiracy Theories & Ones which were New to Me.
NEW BLOG SUMMARISING THE LISTS:
*You can Lead a Horse to Water - CONSPIRACY THEORIES a Heads-up - Suzette Richards Blog (poetrysoup.com)
A maximum 5-word title which incorporates one of the topics, or part of it, for example:
UFOs - They’ve Got the Receipts | Poem (poetrysoup.com)
'Incorporates one of the topics' ... '20 topics are listed in boldface' (as part of its title) explained: As in my example poem, I used the word UFOs, as part of the title, Therefore, a generic title such as 'Little green men' does not conform to the brief and will be rejected. I am also not looking for a lyrical poem, but FREE VERSE with all that it embraces. [Edit 2/6/2026]
A lampoon is a written piece ridiculing a person, group, or institution. It is intrinsically extreme in its opposing view of a subject. NB It is NOT in defence of your favourite topic which people generally see as a conspiracy theory
HOW TO WRITE SATIRE
Satire is deceptively tricky. On the surface, it looks like nothing more than humour sharpened into a jab, but in reality it demands precision. As children, we all indulged in imaginary pranks against those who annoyed us, or conjured up scenarios where we triumphed over impossible odds. That instinct to laugh at absurdity is ancient, as old as storytelling itself. Yet satire is not simply about poking fun; it is about holding up a mirror to society and showing the ridiculousness of what we often accept as normal. The best satire entertains while forcing its audience to pause, reflect, and recognise the folly in the world around them. It is comedy with teeth, wit with purpose, and imagination turned into critique—the final line delivered with a deadpan face. It is agreeing with someone, when the opposite is true: ‘Yeah, right, mate!’
SUMMARY: Satire is not repeating or summarising absurd claims—it is exposing their absurdity by pretending to agree while slyly showing the opposite.
Suggested for you:
Satire - Living in Glasshouses | PoetrySoup.com
PoetrySoup T & Cs apply. Remember: irony → personal attack = sarcasm—it’s not satire!
Prizes
First Prize, Glory
Second Prize, Glory
Third Prize, Glory
7 Honorable Mentions