The Apple In My Eye
By Raposa_vixen

Right on the edge of the Gypsy Camp,
A path veers to the side,
Leading toward a little town,
Whose atmosphere you'll have to bide.

As soon as you enter from the left,
You'll find a tiny stall,
With a barrel sitting underneath,
And a Gnorbu saying, "Come one, come all!"

"My Apple Bobbing Tank," he states,
"Can give out magnificent prizes!
Why don't you try it out a bit?
Though you might get wet," he advises.

I look over to my Neopet,
And they look back at me with glee,
So I decide to give it a little try.
Besides, the whole thing's free.

I lean over the edge of the barrel,
And open my mouth wide,
Hoping to get something good
From the things that lie inside.

But suddenly my hands slips,
And I fall into the water,
But the ragged Gnorbu grabs my shirt,
"Don't worry," he says, "I got her!"

Drenched to the bone and in a daze,
I glare at the barrel with derision,
As my Neopet tumbles over itself,
In its panic it had gotten Blurred Vision!

I mutter as we leave the stall,
Telling myself that it's rigged,
But for some reason I come back everyday,
Just to try it out again...

Shenkuu Haiku
By Thepowerfactor

High in the mountains
Serene as the drifting clouds
Shenkuu meditates

Alone with my board
Riding the rapids and falls
Rushing the river

Wise, ancient Anshu
Vendor of strange remedies
Healing creation

A shrine to knowledge
The Lunar Temple studies
Neopian skies

Famous flying ships
Cruising the stratosphere, swift
And silent as wind

Patterned tiles shine
Slowly I match the symbols
Kou-Jong peace descends

The iron hook gleams
From ledge to summit I soar
Mountain defeated

Left Behind
By Pump

Old Gavril McGill
Awoke with a start,
To the yips and the yelps
Of his scared pirate Warf,
To find the origin of
The startling discord,
He ran quickly outside
A-flailing his sword.

Planning to thwart
The insolent plotter
He was vastly surprised
When his feet hit the water,
And more surprised still
When he scanned the sea,
Water, more water,
Was all he could see!

So back in his shanty,
Dim candlelight dancing
He looks over his sea charts,
Studying, glancing,
Until he yelled: "Oh!
I could dance, I could sing!
The winds have taken
Krawk Island roaming!"

And as if on his queue
Some brave help arrived
And as a team,
A plan they contrived,
Then he said,
"Go friends, by my command,
Search the great seas
And fish up Krawk Island!"

Alone with his thoughts,
He couldn't help but wonder,
What malicious force
Made Krawk Island to go under?
He saw his bad dream
From the night before,
Where the rough water pounded
And tentacles soared,

And could only think of the tales
The pirates had told,
Of vicious lagoons
And sea monsters bold,
And the thought that stuck with him
Was especially grim,
If it took the others,
Would it come back and take him?

Dear Usul Hannah
By Mirishalyn

Once there was a fair lady Hannah,
An Usul with a dream.
For what would quench her,
But adventure, with danger so extreme.
Instead her life was moderate,
Surrounded by the loch,
Stuck working in a barroom
On the island of the Krawk.

One day inside an aging book,
She learned of pirate caves.
The script foretold of looted gold,
Within the murky waves.
"But be thee warned," her book announced,
"To venture is not wise.
There are no maps, but booby-traps,
Surround the pirates' prize.

Be watchful all around you,
For arrows will attack.
And if you slip, even a blip,
One may just find your back.
Explosives lie about in wait,
And one must apprehend.
For dynamite, could soon ignite,
And blast you to your end.

Sharp rocks infest these foul dens,
So keep your pacing slow.
Stalactites right above you,
The mites sit right below.
Should you lose any footing,
You're best to find it quick,
Or you will find yourself
In for a very deadly prick.

Inside the dingy hollows,
Are boulders resting steep.
They may come loose and
Introduce you to a crushing sleep.
And like these fearsome traps,
Avoid the monstrous band.
Creatures nearby, that swim and fly,
And crawl upon the land.

There are none yet who have
Come back from questing to the tomb.
For all he who have entered,
Have welcomed their own doom.
If you can heed these warnings,
Are cunning, and are brave,
Then you may have the slightest chance,
To leave this clammy grave."

It was then Hannah knew that
This would be her greatest find.
She fled the tavern, for the cavern,
Routine was left behind.
Her stomach fluttered excitedly,
Thoughts of the pages' lore.
Such desperate measures for hidden treasures,
What was she waiting for?

Krawk Island Mystery
By Emilysusanburt

Harken ye closely,
Ye scurvy old dogs,
Pirates and landlubbers, too.
I'll tell ye a tale
Of a mystery strange
I swear by me eyepatch it's true.

Though the sea be cold
And heartless, too,
I've seen things ye wouldn't believe!
We're now faced with a puzzle
To set the mind numb
One not even Davy Jones could conceive.

We once had an island,
And all called it home.
The Island of the Krawks was its name.
But in the space of a night
It vanished like a spell
Cast by some sea witch for a game!

Now all that remains
Is a small speck o' land
Where ye barely could anchor or sit.
With naught but
A crazy old geezer and his Warf
I wouldn't trust as far
As I could spit.

He says he's looking,
This Gavril McGill,
Trying to find our lost home.
They go to him in droves,
Seeking treasure or fame,
And come back with naught but sea foam.

When I went to his shack, he looked in me eye.
"Will ye join the search, too?" he asked me.
But I be a pirate, and this I know well
I only trust me own self, do ye savvy?