Stealing Eridin's Glory
By _Chopin

I called a species into question
While playing Neoquest one day,
Consistently attacked by dire Lupes,
Quite keen on making me their prey.

I always thought them a type of dog, you see,
The supposed 'man's best friend,'
And this type of ignorant assumption
Is one that I wouldn't recommend.

That was until I met a writer
(Though it's hard to see how Lupes can write),
A yellow pup that all called 'Eridin' --
A noble name for one so bright!

He yearned to travel the world completely
And log all like I have done myself,
But with the dangers that presented,
His materials rest upon his shelf --
Which existed in a colder world,
A place they call the 'Snowy Rest Inn,'
Which didn't seem a happy environment
For our dear friend Eridin.

But I assured him he'd be fine, of course,
Since I dabble in writing a bit,
And his character would prove to be quite lucrative,
As I exploited it!

The Pink Koi Plushie
By Amitybelle

A young Neopian is given the gift
Of a new plushie for Koi Day.
She smiles at her new best friend;
She loves him straight away.

Outside she takes her Koi to play,
The plushie is thrown around.
Hidden in leaves, climbing in trees,
Dirt sticks to him when he lands on the ground.

"It's time for food; you must be hungry!"
The plushie is given a bite.
Peanut butter and jelly do make for
Quite the sticky sight.

"We can't have this! Time for a bath!
I know you like to swim."
In soapy water the plushie is dunked,
Emerging so proper and prim.

"Well, my dear Koi, the day is done!
Just one more thing to do."
The plushie is snuggled next to her.
She whispers, "I love you."

The Roothless King
By Pump

He sits upon his cold, hard throne,
Pondering which evil he prefers,
In his castle, location unknown.

A permanent scowl is placed on his face,
He wonders if there's any Neopian lingering
Whom he could cause some form of disgrace.

Laughter, a dull ringing in his ears --
He wishes to extinguish hope,
Turn smiles to tears.

Ideas float through his dull, sick mind,
Insolent games, useless fun;
If they vanished, it would be so kind.

All through the night it keeps him from sleep;
All of Neopia's joy echoes through his castle;
He feels like he's never alone in his keep.

Still perched upon his rule of stone,
He sits in the darkness, listening,
Waiting for the day he may be alone.

King Kelpbeard's Lament
By Tanikagillam

When I browse the Poetry Contest,
I often wish I could write like that.
I'm useless at rhyming,
And my poems have no structure.
I've tried so many times,
Don't think that I haven't.
But one stanza is usually shorter
Than the rest.

Or perhaps nothing in my poem will rhyme,
Although, I suppose, not every time.

I read what others can do,
And I look down at my failed attempts.
It's not my fault; I really do try...
The words just never seem to work together.

Occasionally,
I'll come up with something great,
And I'll think I'm on a roll,
But then comes the next line,
And it just ruins the whole thing.

A majestic king, I may be,
But that doesn't make poetry any more easy.
It's sad, but I think I'll just give up.

I've never been much of a poet,
But don't worry, at least I know it.

Poetry Mish Mash
By Emilysusanburt

I was wandering down through Neopia Central
When a curious thought came my way
Of the hundreds of poems I'd written in my past,
And I finally thought, "Well, I say,
There's a contest for that!" But what to write?
The subjects are plenty to find:
There are pets and Petpets, holidays and lands,
And games to boggle the mind.
Of course, there's the style, so many to choose!

Perhaps a haiku
That would be lovely to hear
Not easy to lose.

A limerick could also be good
With rhyming scheme just like it should
A jaunty refrain
And simple to tame
With wit thrown in just 'cuz I could!

Oh tell me, please do, now what should I write?
An ode, a sonnet, sestina, triolet?
All of those styles, their rhymes, their schemes,
A tanka, cinquain, or perhaps rondolet?
Maybe an acrostic, but the instructions do say
That so many of those are posted,
That unless I'm the cleverest poet ever seen
My chance for a look is toasted!

Or maybe I am
Overthinking things a bit
And free style is where
My greatest strength lies?

Perhaps one simply needs to find
The proper subject, so now I turn
To my favourite things in Neopia,
And in no time my mind will burn
With ideas, and then I have no doubt
My resolve to submit will ignite.
I will enter the Poetry Contest at last
And unleash my word-crafting might!