RAVEN MACK is a mystic poet-philosopher-artist of the Greater Appalachian unorthodox tradition. He does have an amazing PATREON, but also *normal* ARTIST WEBSITE too.

Friday, January 19

Hatsu Basho 2018 Honour Tanka Day 5: AMINISHIKI (1-4)

[poor Aminishiki's knee, too much chankonabe]

Aminishiki 
old balding sumo bastard 
of perseverance 

made makuuchi debut 
back in the year two thousand 

spent years that level, 
no championship wins, but 
two times runner-up 

fourth best of all-time in terms 
of top level tournaments 

two years back though, tore 
his left Achilles tendon - 
withdrew… demoted 

scrappy fucker even at 
advanced age never gave up 

battled fourteen months 
at juryo, still consistent, 
fighting spirit strong 

last november, at 
age thirty-nine, he returned 
to makuuchi 

he faired well, earning his 
kachikoshi (just barely) 

but the new year has 
not been kind to our elder 
sumo rikishi 

knees wrapped in ace bandages, 
thickened with supportive gauze 

now in third decade 
of sumo wrestling, those knees 
have carried much weight 

real and metaphysical, 
how much can one man sustain? 

day five, we see our 
hero Aminishiki 
hobbled, with one win 

Chiyonokuni is not 
a top-level superstar 

Aminshiki 
struggled but held for a while, 
then tragedy struck 

the right knee discontinued what 
it was created to do 

Aminishiki 
buckled into the dohyo 
sand, clutching that knee 

Chiyonokuni checks in, 
sensing something had gone wrong 

the aging balding 
rikishi, pushing forty, 
couldn’t climb back up 

he limped to the locker room, 
gone fusenhai, with one win 

a few more basho, 
he would’ve been second in 
most appearances 

now though, his future in doubt, 
contemplating elder stock 


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