SH0VT 0VT T0 FR33D0M F1GHT3RS...

shout out to freedom fighters

liberating the global

south from northern aggression

M4K1NG 1LL3G1T1M4T3...

making illegitimate

marks while working shoot angles

at fake jobs; nothing is real

"4D10S MVTH4" D4YDR34MS...

"adios mutha" daydreams

sitting trapped in cubicle

while promised worked retirement

W3NT T0 SCH00L 4T L34ST THR33 D4YS...

went to school at least three days

most weeks, kept my grades up, and

got high as fuck a whole lot

Aki Basho 2018 Honour Tanka Day Fourteen: TAKANOSHO (8-6)

[MOMENT OF SUCCESS] 

Takanosho got 

kachikoshi in his first 

top level basho 

this means more wins than losses, 

if you’re a sumo novice 

the opposite is 

makekoshi, and either 

means rankings movements 

up or down the overall 

rankings, released each basho 

there’s a banzuke 

scroll, where every rikishi 

is written in ink 

at the top, largest letters, 

are current yokozuna 

the names get smaller 

the further down banzuke 

scroll, to the bottom 

at the very bottom are 

those young men new to sumo 

thus, Takanosho, 

in first basho at sumo’s 

top level, did well 

promising young rikishi, 

increasing their scroll ink size 

personally, I 

find this so fascinating - 

worth displayed by size 

if there was an all-time scroll, 

Hakuho’s name’d be biggest 

day fourteen, he locked 

down another yusho win - 

his forty-first one 

no rikishi - or even 

yokozuna - matches that 

the young and the old, 

and how their trajectories 

intersect - sumo 

daily bouts for fifteen days, 

six bashos a year - sumo 

a sporting culture 

thick with ceremony, and 

corruption - sumo 

stories unfolding slowly 

like nature itself - sumo 

S1GNS W3 C4N'T 4FF0RD T0 K33P...

signs we can't afford to keep

up no more, in places we

still live since nowhere to go

Aki Basho 2018 Honour Tanka Day Thirteen: HOKUTOFUJI (8-5)

[ee see dubyoo! ee see dubyoo!] 

after seven days, 

Hokutofuji was tied 

with the unbeatens 

since that day, he’s struggled to 

maintain that unblemished pace 

after couple days 

of losses, he finally 

got kachikoshi 

he’s struggled to get further 

into the winning column 

Nishikigi and 

he had a stubborn battle, 

with a trick ending 

Hokutofuji tried to 

twist at dohyo’s edge for win 

gyoji pointed 

his way at first - monoii 

called by ringside crew 

Nishikigi pretty slow 

to get up, arm dangling limp 

four feet clinging to 

permitted area, two 

bodies crush sideways 

original decision 

reversed with further review 

Hokutofuji’s 

first seven bouts fought perfect; 

momentum shifts quick 

and yet Hokutofuji 

fights with every last step 

sumo continues 

to be an unforgiving sport 

for these rikishi 

trajectories dissipate 

before one has chance to think 

(later day thirteen, 

battle of yokozunas 

got the crowd hyped up) 

(Hakuho easily beat 

Kisenosato, with flair) 

(Hakuho’s lock on 

winning this basho appears 

unavoidable) 

(two ozeki two losses 

back with only two days left) 

Aki Basho 2018 Honour Tanka Day Twelve: GOIEDO (10-2)

[rookie mistake charge] 

ozeki master 

busting out psychology 

to psyche out Abi 

young Abi never even 

got his hands down it felt like 

multiple matta, 

couple stand-back-up stare downs, 

got Abi back heeled 

when they finally started, 

Goiedo got him on jump 

Abi's energy 

burst pushed back, but Goiedo 

stepped aside to left 

helpful swat, and Abi's down; 

Goiedo remains top-notch