Welcome to OpenLinkNight, the time when we spill poetry all over the place, when we cook up verse until the place bogs in steam and heaps of letters lie scattered all across the wooden floor, where we can’t walk without stumbling over Couplets, Sestinas, Villanelles and Free Verse, Rap and Shakespearean Sonnets and our cheeks glow like lighthouse fires in a stormy night…

And there’s something else that makes my cheeks glow at the moment, it’s when I take the time and read through the Shorty Awards nominations…and the reasons why you vote for us…really…makes my heart beat faster and conjures a smile onto my face… big thanks to all of you who voted for us already and brought us to Rank 6 in the category #art so far..

But…what the heck is this Shorty Award really about..?

In short: it is the Oscar of the Social Media World

• Everyone who has a twitter account can vote for anyone in any available category. 
• The nomination period is January 3, 2012 through February 17, 2012 and culminates in a New York City awards ceremony this spring.
• When the voting closes, the six people or organizations that receive the most tweeted votes will be 2012 Shorty Awards finalists and a Jury will review their work and decides the winners.
•  This means, if you are on twitter and like what we’re doing here, you can vote for us HERE or by pressing the button we added to the Sidebar, tell your friends, your football team, your knitting circle and your grandma and make sure to vote in the category #art and oh, don’t forget to add a reason why you vote for us..votes without reason won’t be counted..
• If you need more information, you can find it HERE

But now, back to what keeps us fueled, to what is on our heart and what the pub needs…and this is your Poetry… have fun, read others, comment on their work, dive head on in the poetic pleasure pool, and if you need a drink, just give me a shout, I’ll be right behind the bar… *Clink*

If you’re here for the first time..warm welcome and here’s how it works..

• Post a poem to your blog,
• Link your poem to dVerse (1 per blog, please) by clicking on the Mr.Linky button below.
• This opens a new screen where you’ll enter your information, and where you also choose links to read. Once you have pasted your poem’s blog url and entered your name, click Submit. Don’t worry if you don’t see your name right away.
• Don’t forget to let your readers know where you’re linking up and encourage them to participate by including a link to dVerse in your blog post.
• Visit as many other poems/poets as you like or can, letting others know what you think about their poem or how it moved you. You may learn something that helps you progress or even make a new friend.
• Spread the word on the poems you enjoy if you’d like. Feel free to tweet and share on the social media of your choice.