The Poet’s Seat Poetry Contest celebrated its 33rd year with a ceremony at Greenfield Public Library on April 23 where 19 poems from Franklin County residents were presented to a record crowd of enraptured poetry lovers. Hearing the finalists’ diverse poems adds a moving dimension to the creative work of these finalists (and all those who submitted their poems this year).

Our thanks and appreciation go to the judges of this year’s contest: Lynne Pledger, Anne Yeomans, and Jeffrey Diteman (Adult category judges); Barry McColgan, Joanne McNeil Hayes, and Gerald Yelle (Youth category judges). We are very mindful of the care, attention and time that the judges put into this event and are very appreciative. A special thank you goes to Bob Barb,a who was the Adult first place contest winner in 2019 and continues to be a part of the poetry contest as our “first reader” of the poems and judges’ coordinator of our committee.

We are grateful to Stoneleigh Burnham School, which had hosted our Poet’s Seat Contest celebration for many years (before the existence of our new library), for continuing to provide us with delicious cookies for all the attendees at the event. We thank the Greenfield Recorder not only for publicizing our event but in turn publishing the finalists’ poems in the newspaper.

Cyndie Rothschild and Lynn Waldron

Friends of Greenfield Public Library
Poet’s Seat committee co-chairs