Hare's Paw Literary Journal positions itself as a venue for poetry that resists the middle ground. In an era of cautious, workshop-honed verse, the journal explicitly seeks work that inspires, challenges, or even repels—a curatorial stance that prioritizes emotional and aesthetic risk over polish for its own sake. The editors' call for 'darkest fantasy' and 'most sappy love poem' signals an appetite for writing that is unafraid of extremity, whether in subject matter or sentiment, and that trusts the reader to navigate discomfort without mediation. The journal's scope is international, open to any poet writing in English, with allowances for other languages provided the majority of the poem is in English. This inclusivity is paired with a clear editorial boundary: no previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are permitted, and the journal requests notification if a piece is accepted elsewhere—a professional courtesy that reflects respect for both the poet's and the editors' time. The $5 fee is modest and standard for many literary magazines, though poets should weigh it against their own submission budgets. What Hare's Paw offers is not a prize or a residency but the possibility of publication in a journal that values the strange, the raw, and the unapologetically emotional. The absence of a stated prize or honorarium suggests a focus on exposure and editorial alignment rather than financial reward. Poets should approach this opportunity as a chance to place work that might be too unconventional or too earnest for more conservative venues, and to join a conversation that prizes the frisson of recognition over the comfort of the familiar.