Calling all residents of Smyth County, Virginia: Have you written a poem that you want to share with the community?

Here’s your chance! We’re putting Poetry in the Paper for National Poetry Month.

Who: Poets of all ages residing in Smyth County are invited to submit a poem. Poets whose work appeared in last year’s Poetry in the Paper are asked to wait until next year to submit again to allow space for new voices in this year’s column.

What: Submit one poem on any family-friendly topic. To allow us to feature as many poets as possible, the maximum length is one hundred words per poem, and we encourage you to submit poems of three lines or fewer. Previously published poems are acceptable.

Where: Complete this form to submit your poem.

How: Copy and paste your poem in the submission form, or enter a link to a Google doc or website of your poem, or upload a file.

When: Submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, 2025. Selected poems will be featured in the Smyth County News & Messenger.

We’ll contact you by April 17 to let you know whether or not your poem will be included. Poems not published in this year’s Poetry in the Paper will be considered for other upcoming publications

You can read last year’s published poems at SWVAToday.com.

Questions: Contact Leah Hamilton: leah@brightdawnmedia.com

*Washington County residents residing in Saltville are also invited to submit.