Guest Edited Anthology
Ishqnama
We invite poets to submit work for a special poetry feature/issue centered on Ishqnama, a chronicle of love. Rooted in Sufi thought, ishq refers not merely to romance, but to a love so total it undoes the self: a love that can begin in longing for another and widen into longing for the Divine, for truth, for annihilation, for union, for what cannot be possessed but must be surrendered to.
For this call, we are seeking poems that engage with at least one of the seven Sufi stages of love, whether through romantic love, grief, obsession, ecstasy, rupture, transformation, or return. We welcome work that is erotic, mystical, narrative, fragmented, experimental, haunted, contemporary, ancient in spirit, or impossible to categorize all the same.
We are especially interested in work where love is inseparable from these inheritances. Rather than general love poems, we seek poems that explore how love is shaped by memory, migration, faith, history, language, folklore and the cultures we carry.
When submitting, please indicate which of the seven stages your poem most closely belongs to. If you are unsure, you may select “Uncategorized / Editors’ Choice” and we will place the poem in the stage that best fits its emotional and spiritual terrain should your poem be selected for publication.
In Sufi traditions, there are seven stages of love.
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Dilkashi - The first sprouts of love; the stage of enchantment.
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Uns - Love is familiar, tender, emotionally close.
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Mohabbat - Yearning for closeness. Love almost feels like ache.
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Akidat - The beloved is held in esteem and reverence. They are the center of admiration.
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Ibadat - Love becomes a form of worship. Romance is ritualized and devotion is absolute.
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Junoon - Love has no reason. This stage can encompass both heartbreak and ecstasy. It is the feeling of being completely overtaken by love.
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Mauth - One’s annihilation in love; the shedding of ego and pride. Love is bigger than them both.
Submission Guidelines
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Submit a maximum of four poems. If you're submitting multiple pieces to this issue, please submit them in separate files and resubmit the form for each piece. That is, one poem per form submission, four times.
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If your poems have words from other languages, please include their translations at the end of the page
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Deadline: August 31
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Response Time: 2 weeks
About the Guest Editor
Elizabeth Shanaz is a writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in various magazines and journals, and she was nominated three times for the Best of the Net in the category of Poetry. She graduated from CUNY City College in 2012 before earning her law degree from NYU Law in 2016. Her poetry collection, ANATOMY OF A POET, will be published by The Northeast Coast Press in January 2027.
Poems We’re Drawn To
Having “Having a Coke with You” with You by Mark Leidner
kaleidoscopic translations by Ria Raj
Par-e-Parwana by Afifa Amer