making America great
again, once the wealthy whites
all escape to New Zealand
Monday, July 24
D4RKN3SS'S PR0M1S3 D3N13D...
darkness's promise denied
by fearful human light grid
making mockery of night
Sunday, July 23
Nagoya Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 14: TAKEKAZE (8-6)
(lololol, classic sumo gifage)
sumo (it appears
at times) is engineered to
produce grand drama
some of Kisenosato’s
wins appear questionable
sports entertainment
principles applied perhaps,
but not acknowledged
to achieve desired results
requires complicit parties
not everyone,
necessarily, but key
participants yes
who better than an elder
old school Japanese native?
thus, mathematics
allows for Aoiyama
still has yusho shot
somehow, on penultimate
day, he has Takekaze
he’s makuuchi’s
elder rikishi, yet not
near top of standings
as mid-ranked maegashira,
Aoiyama draws “equals”
yet as his record
in this basho got better,
where’s the ozeki?
he is allowed to appear
dominant to keep the math
Aoiyama bowls
Takekaze backwards fast,
little battle had
Takekaze’s aging face
flattened further with palm thrusts
sumo’s high drama
has all the fixings with one
day left to decide
Takekaze continues
as sumo’s elder statesman
politics appears
anywhere money’s involved,
anywhere on Earth
thus Aoiyama’s challenge
been well-crafted, discreetly
(full match, courtesy of Jason's sumo channel)
Nagoya Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 13: HARUMAFUJI (10-3)
(Mongolian freight train)
Harumafuji
overshadowed by fellow
Mongol Hakuho
now also overshadowed
by young Kisenosato
Harumafuji
losting luster in crowded
yokozuna field
and yet, Harumafuji
remains consistently great
started shakily
in Nagoya, seemed destined
to withdraw early
yet heading into final
weekend, he remains, unfazed
Harumafuji
may not be popular like
Kisenosato
Harumafuji may not
be the best like Hakuho
but what he does is
remain, perhaps Hakuho’s
second, to this day
ozeki Goeido
faces him on day thirteen
but early hiccup
aside, Harumufuji
is unstoppable
dialed in like freight train, he
overpowers helpless foe
all Goeido
can do is be the car in
front of bullet train
Harumafuji destroys
another weak opponent
Harumafuji
outlasts two yokozuna
who have gone fusen
the grizzled Mongol remains -
no fusen, no fucks given
Nagoya Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 12: TAMAWASHI (6-6)
(Tamawashi slapped around)
someone has to get
slapped around by Hakuho
in all-time wins quest
day twelve - Tamawashi’s turn
to feel Hakuho’s anger
vicious palm slaps in
abundance - Tamawashi’s
jowls rattle from strikes
Hakuho hoping to set
all-time record speedily
Tamawashi has
little chance to fight back with
any real power
beaten into submission
by greatest sumo ever
except there is no
submission in sumo, so
Hakuho stalks in
Tamawashi stunned along
edge, quickly pushed out-of-bounds
there is no shame in
losing to metaphysic
Hakuho steamroll
Tamawashi’s no coward,
cowered not at Hakuho
little can be done
to stop what is happening,
what Hakuho does
Tamawashi did what he
could against history’s march
(the full bout below)
Nagoya Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 11: NISHIKIGI (6-5)
(Aoiyama's championship hopes tumble)
juryo demotion
becomes extended remix
to oblivion
reaching makuuchi (top
level) defining moment
but maintaining good
win-loss record the only
key to survival
very simply, one will drop
or rise by wins and losses
thus, Nishikigi’s
rise to makuuchi was
challenged recently
three losing bashos in a
row saw him get demoted
at Natsu Basho
in May, back in juryo, he
had to start over
he ended up champion
at juryo level in May
thus, Nishikigi’s
back in makuuchi as
low maegashira
this means wins-losses very
important to maintain status
Nishikigi came
out strong, won five of first six,
then started struggling
day eleven, he
was even five-and-five, to
face Aoiyama
the big Bulgarian sat
one bout behind Hakuho
having easily
his best basho ever, stepped
in Aoiyama
as low-rank maegashira
Nishikigi needs more wins
makekoshi might
mean another demotion
back down to juryo
how many months spent struggling
to get back up? no one knows
some get demoted
and spend years attempting to
regain top status
some never get back, not just
old rikishi, young ones too
a very simple
merit-based formula
can be hard to crack
today, Aoiyama seems
poised to maintain his force
Nishikigi’s heels
being tested, resisting
Aoiyama’s girth
it looks to be another
Aoiyama victory
a loss meant trending
towards makekoshi for
poor Nishikigi
a loss meant demotion might
appear on the horizon
the last five days could
unravel into succession
of failure demons
five wins, ten losses would man
definite return below
that destiny teased
itself as reality
at dohyo’s far edge
inches between failure and
survivor’s perseverance
Nishikigi’s heels
pivoted, Aoiyama
chasing afterwards
for first time, Aoiyama
seems not in control of girth
Nishikigi pushed
big Aoiyama down, both
men falling closely
Nishikigi is declared
winner, surviving the day
each bout becoming
microscopic fault line
in his destiny
metaphysical maintenance
of position in sumo
(the full match, should you care)
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