#whatsasyllableamongfriends

Today is Sunday in Canada and Monday in Australia. It was Friday morning (in Canada) and Friday evening (in Australia) when Jess (in Australia) and I (in Canada) first collaborated on a poem.

The poem was a simple #twHaiku. (Read about the specifics of #twHaiku.)

We were having a conversation via Direct Messages on Twitter, and were getting quite excited about a collaborative poetry project, when Jess replied to my public #twHaiku with one of her own:

"Tucked in bed for sleep
Thinking about words that
will join across seas" @aforgrave #twHaiku

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

Now, to the public eye, Jess’ #twHaiku seemed to pass the muster. I continued:

"Sharing electrons, Round the world our syllables, Create poetry." #twHaiku @myen @jessmcculloch

— ? Andrew Forgrave (@aforgrave) August 24, 2012

But then, in the public sphere, suddenly this appeared:

@aforgrave @myen
"All will survive well
If you just admit you're wrong
Then we can move on." ;-D #twHaiku

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

Now, (ignoring, for the moment, my extra syllable in each of the 2nd and 3rd lines there), what had happened in the DM backchannel in the interim, was this:

Back in the public sphere, our conversation continued:

@aforgrave so now it's 5-6-5? 🙂

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

And while that was going on, friend and colleague @mbteach from Philly shared:

Carrots & sticks are for donkeys, not for professionals. http://t.co/mDBffiW2 #Kindle

— Mary Beth Hertz (@mbteach) August 24, 2012

which, given the #twHaiku mood I was in, was a perfect setup for a RT as #twHaiku opportunity:

RT @mbteach as #twHaiku "Carrots & rude sticks, Are meant for moving donkeys, Not professionals." http://t.co/yWvxukNE @myen @jessmcculloch

— ? Andrew Forgrave (@aforgrave) August 24, 2012

The discussion continued backchannel, with considerable confusion on both sides:

and then it was decided:

@aforgrave you're quick on these! good one!

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

@aforgrave @myen
"One #twHaiku is done
Leaving room for many more
Syllables to count. "

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

"Each one, so precious. Gems on verbal images: #twHaiku Syllables." #twHaiku @myen @jessmcculloch #extrasmakeitbetter

— ? Andrew Forgrave (@aforgrave) August 24, 2012

and the final acknowledgement:

@aforgrave @myen I concede! :
"Tucked in bed for sleep
Thinking about words that will
Join across the seas."
There! #twHaiku 🙂

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

Then, just when it looked as if the friction was over, attention was focused onto Jess’ second #twHaiku:

"In such a small space
Much can really be said
When time is taken" #twHaiku

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

@aforgrave I know I know! fixing that too. damn you're picky!!! thought the count was 6 to start with – counted from one of yours…

— Jess McCulloch (@jessmcculloch) August 24, 2012

… which brings me to the title of this post, and a #tag introduced early in the converation, #whatsasyllableamongfriends ?

For more on syllable count, see my entry under the #twHaiku poetic form page, Syllable Count in the #twHaiku Form.