Less than three months before Madison welcomes the nation's best poetry slammers, the city's top spoken-word performers compete Friday night to form the five-member host team, one of about 85 squads entering the National Poetry Slam here Aug. 4-9.

Words will flow like fireworks as 10 competitors — each of whom won a preliminary match since last October — vie for a spot on Madison's entry in the national contest. It's a tiny sample of the talent that will be on display in 17 venues throughout Downtown Madison this August. The final five teams will clash at Overture Hall.

On Friday in a ballroom at Inn on the Park, the performers will deliver two original works for up to three minutes each. A third round will feature the top six or seven poetry slammers before five judges select Madison's team.

Poetry slamming, also dubbed urban spoken word, "has some of the best writers and performers in Madison," said David Hart, organizer of Friday's event and operations director for the National Poetry Slam. "It's an inviting atmosphere. I've heard everything from 'George Bush (stinks)' to ' "Star Trek"  is awesome' to 'My mother was addicted to crack.' Material ranges from very sublime to the ridiculous."

And, yes, poets make tactical moves.

"It's strategic because poets will be figuring out what the crowd likes, what the judges like and what other poets have done," Hart said. "We also want the crowd to experience the depth of the writing and the performance."

Madison's team narrowly missed a spot in National Poetry Slam's 25-team semi-finals last year in Austin, Texas. With hometown support, Hart said, Friday's entrants, ranging from early 20s to mid 40s, will form a top-notch team.

Kyle "El Guante" Myhre — a former Madisonian who won Minneapolis' top poetry slammer award this year — returns to Madison to perform Friday as a special guest.

"This year's competition should be fierce," Myhre said. "Since leaving town (in 2007), I've really missed the unique spoken-word scene that Madison has. Being the home team this year should get them the attention they deserve."

Between 2,000 and 3,000 performing poets, coaches and spectators are expected to come to Madison for the national event.

"It will be very creative," Hart said. "It will be exhilarating. It will be inspiring. You will absolutely know they're here. It will be a week like Madison hasn't seen."