[EricDP]

Well, just changing it to inline didn't work, so here's the code that currently works. I'll play with it over the weekend and see if I can get it working with 'compliant' code.

Here's the CSS:

.centerblock {
	text-align: center;
	display: block;
	text-indent: 0em;
}
.verse {
	text-align: left;
	display: inline-block;
	text-indent: 0em;
	font-size: 0.85em;
	margin-top: 0.5em;
	margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}
.vneg090 {
	margin-left: -0.90em;
}
.vnegxxx - etc for other indent amounts

And here's some text:

  <p class="paragraph-center">ANNIVERSARY ODE</p>
  <hr class="small" />

  <div class="centerblock">
    <p class="verse vneg320">Again we meet to celebrate<br />
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With badge and solemn rite,<br />
    Our fifty-second anniversary,<br />
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In Pickwick Hall, tonight.</p>
  </div>

  <div class="centerblock">
    <p class="verse vneg090">We all are here in perfect health,<br />
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;None gone from our small band:<br />
    Again we see each well-known face,<br />
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And press each friendly hand.</p>
  </div>

  <div class="centerblock">
    <p class="verse vneg200">Our Pickwick, always at his post,<br />
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With reverence we greet,<br />
    As, spectacles on nose, he reads<br />
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our well-filled weekly sheet.</p>
  </div>

And here's how it renders in ADE:



Those couple of verses don't appear perfectly centered, but notice I have 'vneg' on each of them because lower down there is an even wider verse. I use the widest verse as calibration (it would be 'vneg000') and everything else is negative-indented to align.

Also, before somebody says it, I know I could <span> and indent for the alternate lines rather than using repeated &nbsp; for spacing. Bad habit of mine...