people have places

People have places
all over their faces, 
all over their fronts -
all over their backs. 
In fact "backs," "fronts"
and "faces" are places! 
But there are so many
more places than that. 

Some places are big, 
with smaller places in!
Some places are tiny, 
but someplace surrounds.
So let's you and me play
Place-Point-Say! It's one
of the easiest games around.

Hey, you go first! Take your finger
and point! Poke gently anyplace
that you like, on me. Or any place
that you don't like - but you have
to touch if you want to see. 

Then I'm up! On the spot
- I will have to name that place.
If I can't? That's a point for your side!
If I can, my turn! I will try
to score a point
in a place upon you
whose name you can't find.

But if it's just a made-up name
you give, no score for me. 
That's what it's called!
It counts! But we have
to remember that place
and the name we found.
That's its name, y'all. 

If it comes up later, 
and you name it wrong
- that's foul on you,
and a point for me. 
Same if I pull that trick!
You see, only the first
made-up name per place
is home free. 

If a place has many real names,
you are always free
to use these 
on you.
But a place with no name
is the point of the game! We've got 
to discover and learn what's new.    

This game is the way
we discover ourselves,
and what all of the names
of our places are. 

Restrictions: if the place named is
"shirt" or "pants" or anything like
- a removable place? That counts! 
But it only counts once, then you have 
to dispense with that place. Removable 
places are stunts.  

For a big place name (like "front")
if the other says "big!" then that name
does count, but is then retired
- you can't use it any more
for that big ol' place. Unless you 
challenge: "No big!" you can say!
Then the big-caller's on the spot!
And they have to point out
three places with names, within
the called-big place. That's a point
for them if they can, and the place
is ruled big, and they keep their turn. 

Otherwise, the whole game could be played
just saying "front!" and "back!" every time.
No fun - and nothing learned.

However, no made-up names
in the big challenge. For only 
the person whose places they are
gets to make that up - though
of course they are free
to use a name the other made-up, 
if they have that same place
on them. In fact, it's considered 
a courtesy. 

The most important thing 
when laying out rules 
is to lose the rhyme scheme 
(if any) as you go. This shows 
"this is no poem, but some serious
rules for a game that matters." 
Poems are kinda kid stuff, all 
sing-song nursery beats and meter. 
Rules are very adult. Serious!  

One last rule. Important: not the eyes.
Well for me, not the eyes. At the start 
of the game,
we can each declare
three places out-of-bounds.
The eyes count as two.