Monday, April 6, 2015

Day 6 - 2015 How to Write a “Poetweet”



Fun stuff and a contest ~ check it out:

Ever heard of a "Poetweet?"  
  

"I think that I shall never meet / A poem lovely as a Tweet..." * (see link at end of post) 

 
Short and Simple: "Poetweet" (AND VERY TRICKY)!!

Our ever-changing digital age continues to create new modes of communication. Have you heard of “poetweets” yet? It you are on Twitter then you most likely have but if you haven’t ventured into Twitter Land yet, then it might be new to you.


What I love about limited poetry (those that are specific as to the number of words or syllables you can you use) is that they force us to “tighten things up.” The surprising thing is that, usually, when you manage to say what you mean with fewer words, it packs a lot more power.  

A fun little contest: #PoetweetNYC New York City is hosting its sixth annual Twitter poetry "Poetweet" contest as part of National Poetry Month ~ Contest is only open to residents of the United States and runs from April 6th to April 13th, 2015. Contest details can be found here: #PoetweetNYC  

According to the “Urban Dictionary” a “poetweet” is a form of poetry which consists of exactly 140 characters. There is no reference to rhyme or rhythm, only 140 characters exactly. All words must be spelled out, no short cuts such as "ur" for "you are" or "b4" for "before." And definitely no "lol"! Normal contractions are allowed.

Here’s the example of a poetweet offered in the “Urban Dictionary”: Of all the sights I see, there is none so beautiful as your shadow. Knowing you're near, and the sun is shining is enough for me. Beautiful. 

                      

Here’s my attempt:

We met through a writer’s group. Sharing our love of the written word, our families, our heartaches and our joys. Thanks, my writing friend.

                  © 2015 by Stephanie Abney  

 
The TRICKIEST part is getting 140 characters (with spaces) EXACTLY – have fun!! See ya’ tomorrow. YOUR TURN!



* Here is the link to an article about the Poetweet contest to celebrate National Poetry Month, held by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (@NYCulture) where I snagged that clever little: "I think that I shall never meet / A poem lovely as a Tweet..." (Social Media: Poetweet and More)


12 comments:

Vicki said...

Days are long, the nights are getting shorter. It's Spring! Now, on to the summer! Days of warmth and sunshine. Oh, the seasons of the year!

Deborah said...

Cool, Vicki! I like it!

Stacy said...

Noise. Lights dazzle. The city zips. Don’t get caught in a race for something. We must slow down. Do you see it? Listen.

Unknown said...

Mommy's life. Love, laughter, and little feet. Busy mornings. Lego blocks, sun dresses, when is lunch? Let's just read a story.

Heidi L. Murphy said...

Please check out mine on my blog. I have pictures that really fit with it on there.

Heidi L. Murphy said...

Sorry I forgot the address:
www.murph4slaw.blogspot.com

Stephanie Abney said...

Oh my goodness! These are wonderful. It's fun, isn't it?

And Heidi - I meant to check out your blog right away (been doing schoolwork), but I just went and read all six of your poems so far and you are a MARVEL!! I really loved them all! Thanks for posting your link so others might read them (and thanks for linking back here for directions). YOU are SUCH a great poet (and author, but THIS is #NationalPoetryMonth so I'm focusing on that one! Cheers!!

cassie said...

A drop of rain is falling down making not a single sound. Is the earth crying or getting clean? Do I morn? Or do I sing? What do I think? Sing

Deborah said...

I LOVE THESE! I haven't checked Heidi's yet, but I will.

Deborah said...

Good Grief, Heidi. That is some seriously good poetry! Thanks for sharing!

Deborah said...

Here are mine.

Mothers and fathers and all the offspring know how to hurt each other with out really trying, but sometimes they do try, and they shouldn't.


Shadows dance across the floor. The ticking clock warns me of the time of day. Soon my beloved will arrive, straight from earning our bread!

Stephanie Abney said...

Wow! I love that more poems are coming in. This was fun ~ "Poetweet."

Great job, everyone. Keep coming back!!