The shortest poem ever written <br />was a poem that just said: <br />“A” <br /> <br />At roughly the same time, <br />another poet <br />was writing another poem <br />which just said: <br /> <br />“B” <br /> <br />A debate then formed <br />as to which <br />exactly <br />was the shortest poem <br />ever written. <br /> <br />The general consensus <br />was that they both were <br />the shortest poems <br />ever written, <br />as both poems contained <br />the same amount of words <br />and the same amount of <br />letters. <br />So, <br />in essence, <br />it was a tie. <br /> <br />However, the poet who wrote <br />the ‘b’ poem <br />argued that <br />technically, <br />his poem was shorter. <br /> <br />His argument was that <br />since both poems <br />contained the same amount <br />of words, <br />the same amount <br />of letters, <br />then that factor <br />must be thrown out <br />as a measuring device. <br /> <br />Instead, <br />he argued, <br />that when written <br />in the same typeface, <br />and the same point size, <br />the letter ‘B’ takes up <br />less horizontal space <br />than does the letter ‘A’ <br />in the majority of <br />typefaces. <br /> <br />Experts were called in <br />to assess the matter, <br />panels were formed, <br />commissions were <br />initiated, <br />independent <br />investigations were <br />carried out, <br />un-biased <br />third-party <br />arbitrators <br />were summoned <br />to hear the case. <br /> <br />All findings were <br />inconclusive <br />and nobody could <br />agree. <br /> <br />Many years later <br />entire dissertations <br />were written on <br />the matter. <br /> <br />And, the world <br />still can’t make up <br />its mind.<br /><br />Derek R. Audette<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-shortest-poem-ever-written/
