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PoArtry event gathers poets, artists

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POLSON — It may have been the first ever community poetry reading at Riverside Park. 

After a shower swept through Polson on May 31, the skies cleared for the PoArtry In the Park event planned by Annabelle Smith and Sophie Sisler.

The eighth graders are in Tamara Fisher’s gifted and talented class. Annabelle’s GT project, which she chose, was to write 20 poems and read some of them. 

To complete the project, Annabelle said, “I had to have a real world audience.” 

Although she could have read her poems to a class at school, Annabelle decided on a community poetry reading and Sophie suggested they include art.

The art show was open to every artist from first grade to “Miss Fish,” the girls said, and anyone who wanted to read a poem he or she wrote or a favorite poet’s work was invited.

They contacted Darlis and Daniel Smith at Polson Heart and Soul Project, who wanted to meet with the girls.

“They loved our idea,” Sophie explained. 

As well as loving the community spirit of the event, Daniel said Heart and Soul took care of permits and found a food vendor, Quinn’s Wrap Shack, willing to come cook for the crowd.

It was truly a community event since Sophie and Annabelle borrowed easels from Matt Holmes, art teacher at Polson High School, and the library stool from LouAnne Krantz, librarian at PMS.

About 25 people attended the event, and many read poems for the crowd. 

Selections ranged from original work by Annabelle and Sophie to “Talking Hard Work” by Woody Guthrie and “Song of the Brook,” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

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