"Better to read one poem too few then one poem too many." Wise words from one of several brilliant readers that participated in Tuesday's "Now Taste This" poetry reading and silent auction held at the Downtown campus of Miami Dade College.The evening started out on the good foot with a spread of complimentary wine, fruits, and cheeses that were laid out for the guests to enjoy. After an hour of meeting, greeting, and mingling, the poetry reading commenced just as the dusk fell upon Miami's intercoastal. Sponsored by Wine News magazine and Gardner's Markets, the event featured well known local poets (many of whom are affiliated with Miami Dade College) reciting poems about local featured restaurants.There were roughly 12 poets scheduled to read, but two of them somehow forgot to bring a copy of their poems and were disappointed to find out that the event organizers also failed to bring a copy. Shame on you absent minded poets! You should know better.In any case, the poets that did perform were extremely eloquent. Managing the english language with a familiar ease. I'm only going to mention three specific poets here. This trio left a lasting impression on me with their ability to ply words into a pleasing form.Howard Camner: Hey look, it's Bob Dylan! Based on his appearance and demeanor, Mr. Camner comes off as an apprentice to the great offbeat poet crooner. However, his poetry has a style and grace of its own.The frenetic pace of his diction made me feel like I was listening to a jazz tune posing as a poem. He has an obvious affinity for alliteration and non-sensical phrases. His poetry was somehow cool and funny at the same time. He also offered up a lot of solid imagery, painting a picture as he spoke. Mia Leonin:Her strong Spanish accent gave away her heritage long before she began reciting her lines, and sure enough, Ms. Leonin did a fantastic job of intermingling the English and Spanish language in her work. Her voice inflection was very soothing, almost as if she was massaging the audience with words. What really struck me about her, though, was the ease with which she juxtaposed contrasting images. I wish that I could give you specific examples, but unfortunately I do not have a written transcript of her work to refer to (bad journalism Hugo! You're better than that...)Jeffrey Knapp:He's the one that offered up that great phrase about reading one poem too few, etc...Jeffrey is the living embodiment of poetic realism. His ability to offer up concrete details and his simple and direct style was a breath of fresh air. Often times, I feel that even the most established poets rely on overly "heavy" descriptions that tend to be overly romantic or overly fantastic. I found none of this in Mr. Knapp's work. Listening to his poetry was like watching a home movie; there was little fluff, but a lot of reality. He also managed to be funny. A feat which is rarely accomplished by your run of the mill poet.