Aki Basho 2018 Honour Tanka Day Five: YOSHIKAZE (5-0)

[Yoshikaze's abnormal helicopter arm warm-up seems to be giving him powers] 

fifteen days of bouts, 

break them down to trinities - 

start, middle, and end 

your beginning must build the 

necessary momentum 

this is not unlike 

rikishi’s initial blast 

after both hands touch Earth 

middle trinity would be 

regaining a strong balance 

this establishes 

chance at final trinity - 

defeating failure 

thus that first five basho bouts 

creates your trajectory 

Yoshikaze has 

been makuuchi mainstay 

for over ten years 

one basho runner-up in 

all that time, zero titles 

his lowest ranking 

in a decade as well, he’s 

come out with real fight 

positioned in second bout of day 

means shrinking banzuke name 

but Yoshikaze, 

undefeated, maintains that 

momentum fifth day 

Chiyomaru is one of 

sumo’s most mountainous men 

but Yoshikaze 

attacks with veteran’s keen 

patient awareness 

surviving Chiyomaru’s 

initial blast, then grounding 

without shook footings, 

Yoshikaze thrusts the big 

opponent backwards 

and just like that, accomplished 

a perfect first trinity 

bigger opponents 

await though, with six other 

men still unbeaten 

all three yokozuna, plus 

an ozeki, and two more 

ain’t no basho 

like Tokyo basho because… 

well, it’s gonna stop 

but we’ve gone through the first third, 

and no one’s taken control 

Hatsu Basho 2018 Honour Tanka Day 12: YOSHIKAZE (4-8)

[lolol]

as Hatsu Basho 

thrusts into third final weekend, 

there’s so much drama 

the sole yokozuna left 

Kakuryu took second loss 

Tochinoshin the 

Georgian ox survived again, 

another tough bout 

Tamawashi palm choke pushed, 

then slapped the fuck out of him 

Tochinoshin though 

persevered, and again brute 

strengthed at dohyo’s edge 

now the Georgian sits alone 

atop standings, three days left 

but for purposes 

of this project, the highlight 

of today was clear 

Ichinojo has become 

a wild sumo godzilla 

across the way was 

Yoshikaze, clutching at 

top maegashira 

a loss meant makekoshi, 

simple math of fifteen bouts 

more wins than losses 

means one moves up higher on 

the banzuke scroll 

but more losses than wins goes 

the opposite direction 

Yoshikaze came 

in at seven losses - the 

math very simple 

staring at Ichinojo, 

contemplating their futures 

four days left - four wins 

would secure stability 

for Yoshikaze 

but Ichinojo’s become 

a monster of sorts lately 

Yoshikaze’s fists 

touch clay, he waits, and then his 

opponent follows 

both men come out of thick squat, 

whole worlds trained to thrust forward 

Yoshikaze meets 

man mountain Ichinojo - 

thick palm thrusting throat 

Yoshikaze leans backwards, 

held in moment like puppet 

Ichinojo heaves 

cellular energies 

forward with more thrust 

Yoshikaze’s toppled like 

temple rotten with termites 

flattened against earth 

clay as ceremonial 

sumo battlefield 

Yoshikaze looked up as 

makekoshi truths pushed down 

another basho 

in two months with another 

fresh banzuke scroll 

Yoshikaze’s name will be 

lower, perhaps smaller too 

[the full match, with ceremony]

Nagoya Basho 2017 Honour Tanka Day 1: YOSHIKAZE (1-0)

when banzuke scroll 

unfurls, mid-makuuchi 

is poised for struggle 

high maegashira (plus the 

sanyaku ranks) face the top 

this means thrown in to 

freshly-ranked ozeki and 

aged yokozuna 

and yet opening 

day of Nagoya Basho 

saw ozeki fall 

all three, in fact, suffered loss 

to lower maegashira 

Tochinoshin, with 

his eternal bandaged knee 

fought off ozeki 

and noble Takayasu 

lost first bout as ozeki 

but in next-to-last 

bout of day, Yoshikaze 

had today’s moment 

that grizzled yokozuna 

Harumafuji waited 

Harumafuji appears 

somewhat mean of spirits most 

of the time (it seems) 

not easily kinboshi’d, 

but quickly put on back heels 

the yokozuna’s 

balance is impeccable - 

resist on one foot 

Yoshikaze does not quit, 

locking in spinning embrace 

Harumafuji 

attempts to lock uplifted 

leg, to no avail 

Yoshikaze attempts to 

throw him off balance… no luck 

they reach the ring’s edge, 

and even then it appears 

either man could win 

perhaps Harumafuji 

would spin Yoshikaze out 

but Yoshikaze 

roots himself just long enough, 

wide feet gripping sand 

Harumafuji on edge, 

nowhere left to spin, steps out 

on opening day, 

Yoshikaze scores bonus 

pay for kinboshi 

opening day - ozeki 

and yokozuna lose big 

seven bouts, they win 

only two, the lower ranks 

hungry to move up 

Yoshikaze, however, 

got biggest gold star of all 

just opening day - 

there’s two full weeks left for this 

Nagoya Basho 

but Yoshikaze came out 

the gates strong as fuck (for now)