Twitter, a microblogging platform that facilitates the communication of messages in 140 characters or less.
Poetry: not often 140 characters or less.
However, despite the fact that on the surface, poetry and Twitter are mutually exclusive, a vibrant community of poets and poetry lovers has erupted on Twitter. Using hashtags, dedicated accounts, and press-driven trends, Twitter has become one of the few places online I use to find new poetry that interests me.
Personally, I participate in the hashtag #todayspoem, which is pretty straightforward. I post a line or two, use the hashtag, and post the source in a following tweet, again using the hashtag. Others on twitter do this daily, and I follow the hashtag to find both new and old poems alike.
Some of the folks using the hashtag I know, others are from across the country and they are all reading such a wide variety of material that I am always able to find something new (to me) and wonderful.
the spotlight 