Imagine a web site that allows you to create, edit, and share a poem and then later allow it to be manipulated by others at any time. A sort of Wikipedia of user submitted poetry. Open Source Poetry’s front page page shows recent poems that visitors can read.  Another tab shows poems that are in progress and users and even vistors can edit them line by line.  

Poems are published with the author’s name (or nickname) and a title of their choice.  If another person edits their poem, the original author can either finalize , re-edit, or decide finish it on their own.   Once a poem is published it is easily accessible on the home page.    If another person wants to redo a published poem they are able to, but under a different title.  All poetry posted retains the credit of its editors but becomes open source material.  Open source is a  copyright term for creative commons licensing that in this case uses:

Attribution Share Alike

“ lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial reasons, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms.”   

A nice poem I found after digging around the site;

Under Sweet Night
by Ron Septimus

Under sweet night
i will write
all my songs for you
even your tears
make it clear
this is right for you
.how do you explain
all this love
that surrounds you
how can i explain
when it’s just the way
that we feel
.
right for a dream
i have seen
what few will ever know
you whispered to my heart
tear apart
the walls around you
.
each and every day
our love
will be in love
i want to find
and see you shine
like sunlight and starlight
.
save what’s for real
place it here
let it guide you
deep never blue
i want you
forever after
.
how do you explain
all this love
that surrounds us
how can i explain
when it’s just the way
that we feel

Written March 29, 2009

Source: Open Source Poetry