Award-Winning Poems from the Smith's Tavern Poet Laureate Contest: 2011 Edition

Each year in April the poets of New York's Capital Region make their annual pilgrimage to Voorheesville, a quiet upstate village nestled among the shadows of the Helderberg Escarpement in western Albany County. They are inspired by the quest to have their name engraved upon the coveted trophy of William Shakespeare given to the poet crowned as Laureate of Smith's Tavern. The contest, a rousing success since its inception, is organized by the Sunday Four Poets, an open-mic poetry forum dedicated to continuing the rich cultural legacy of Voorheesville and the adjacent hilltowns. Both the forum, held the fourth Sunday of each month, and the contest, are open to any interested poets. This edition features three poems each by Poet Laureate Howard Kogan, Marilyn Paarlberg, and obeedúid~, as well as one poem each from the other participating poets.