The Long and Short of It

Poetry on the Web

I have been following an interesting poem online. It’s a poetic effort using the newest forms of electronic communication—texting and social networking—to form a poem known as “The Longest Poem in the World.” The brainchild of Romanian Web developer Andre Gheorghe, it’s a Web site creating a gigantic poem of “found” words.

If you remember refrigerator poems from a time when rhyming magnetic words delighted or chagrined family members, this seems a similar concept. Only instead of appearing center stage on your fridge, it is on your computer screen. Contemporary wordsmiths put together public “tweets” and electronically “found” words that rhyme and thereby propagate the media with thousands and thousands of lines of new verse every day.

I recently read that a woman in Britain is also making news with her popular spam poetry blog, in which she weaves poetry from her junk mail! Although the Silver Sage will not be rhyming her junk mail to you in the near future, I do like to explore the latest catchy ideas. The thought of taking electronic objects or junk mail detritus and making something humorous out of it appeals to me.

Compiled by a gal named Kirstin, here is something plucked off the Web:

You Can Make It Happen!
Your refinance application has been accepted.
Your Palms Hotel 3 Night Stay is Confirmed
Your Home Value.
Your health, your care
Your Guide to Wealth
Your favorite games
Your ticket to ride
Your hot car
Your smokin’ wife
Your massive bank account
Your easy life
YOU HAVE WON!!!!!

Hmm, variety is the spice of life, but just maybe I will stick with Ruskin Bond.

By Gael Stuart
The Silver Sage Blog