Pick up the paltry pointless pace,
Pushed and pitfalled into the piranha populated paddling-pool
Of Protagonize.

Put panic-stricken paralyses on the parquet,
And pointedly pinion each poisonous piece,
That precipitates precariously on the parade in your precinct.

Play paranormal ping-pong,
While prancing pointedly among the pimpernels and primulas,
To pin-point the placebo that pixelates your purpose.

Patronise the prankster that practices praise-worthy pratfalls,
Propelled by pride through the proscenium of the protagonists
That proselytize the prospect of positivity.

Prepare to prove the parental prophet puerile in their premonitions,

Predict a powerful pleasure in plotting piracy,

And please,
Please remember...

Even pernickety polyglots practice procrastination.

Author guidance for This poem

Ahoy!

Imagine this. A baseball game, amongst talented friends, for fun, surely one in which everyone tries but at which competition becomes secondary. Of course, as always happens in challenges of skill, rules are questioned and sometimes tempers flare, but only momentarily, and always in the spirit of the game. More often than not, though, excellent plays are heralded, as players seem to bring out the best amongst their peers.

And now it's raining, and has been for some time. Retreating to the clubhouse draws some optimism and warmer fare, yet as the rain continues, the teams retreat to the comfort of a nearby player's household to revisit stories of momentous happenings and favourite plays.

I will post the ballads by midnight tomorrow, and insert another scorecard. But without numbers. I'd hope, and it is voluntary, as perhaps it always should be, without a negative or positive consequence of doing so, that everyone would leave comments on the group ahead.

(i.e. 1-3 do 4-6 and so on, while 12-15 wrap back to 1,2 and 3)

I do apologize for the lengthy delays -- I anticipated some delay along the way, but being handed two life changing events, a daunting, frustrating work schedule and the near loss of my father, all in three months, well, you can imagine (or not)

However, choosing the option not to take this on, well, that may have just mean that 70+ poems may not have been written. So, worthwhile, in my opinion.

As for the winner, I'm entirely unconvinced that this event should ever have been a "competition" worth winning -- but rather a set of challenges that everyone who participates is able to take part in and comment and be commented on.

But that's just me. (I'll also post comments on all 15, and all are most welcome to comment on as many as you'd like)

updated Jun 21 '10 by smac972