Skeleton and pattern based parallel programming promise significant benefits but remain absent from mainstream practice. We consider why this situation has arisen and propose a number of design principles which may help to redress it. We sketch the eSkel library, which represents a concrete attempt to apply these principles. eSkel is based on C and MPI, thereby embedding its skeletons in a conceptually familiar framework. We present an application of eSkel and analyse it as a response to our manifesto.