Despair Sanctuary, “a drone metal vigil for all who are weary,” is looking for poets to read at our next vigil. For this event series, attendees are invited to a gothic church in Brooklyn to hold negative emotions while listening to original poems and metal music. It is a cathartic event and a powerful experience, as it culminates in a live concert and involves communal rituals. While it hosted by a church, it is a secular event and is open to all people.

We are looking for poems that deal with grief, despair, rage, depression, anxiety, trauma, mental illness, or related experiences. Submissions can be somber, dark, moody, visceral, unhinged, etc. The purpose of this poetry is to give attendees the opportunity to confront their own hard emotions and experience catharsis. Happy, bubbly, or optimistic poems should not be submitted.

Accepted poets will read their poems to an audience of 100-200 people and will be awarded an honorarium of $100. They must be able to commute to Brooklyn at their own expense. The date of the next vigil is TBD.

To submit, email a pdf of 1-3 poems to despairsanctuary@gmail.com with the subject “Despair Sanctuary Poetry Submission.” Include your name, website (if applicable), social media handle (if applicable), and the names of any publications you may have been featured in. 

Deadline: October 1, 2025

Learn more about Despair Sanctuary from Harper’s Bazaar, or at despairsanctuary.org.