Long, long ago, in the time-hazy era called by the Ancients “2017”, a thread was made called “Christmas Go Haiku Challenge”. Many mightily-skilled poets of legend gathered there, and promptly left after seeing we’d turned up. Still, much fun was had, and a fine collection of rustic odes to the beautiful game were penned. With that in mind, it’s been in my brain to start a new challenge: Go poetry for New Year! I’m going to write a haiku about Go for every day of this month, and you’re all invited to join me. But this time it’s different: I’m encouraging you to write a tanka as well. Whereas a haiku has a syllable pattern of 5-7-5, the tanka are longer and go 5-7-5-7-7. With that in mind, let’s have a go…
A Message from Go, on her Birthday
Four thousand you say?
Seems like only yesterday
I taught him to play:
Shusaku. Soon went away…
Still, look forward to today!
And From the World Champion Ke Jie
Weiqi is like a
Whirlpool dragging me deeper
Down into its heart.
Woops, looks like I missed a day. Going to need to make two days’ worth now…
Final Musing of a Dictator for Life
“Funny, it’s just like
That pleb’s game latrunculi
(Wisely called “brigands”) –
See how many are needed
To kill but a single one!”
That one’s going to take a bit of explaining, so bear with me. The speaker is Julius Caesar, its a mental monologue, and he’s referencing a real Roman game as he’s assassinated by the gang of senators. Latrunculi was similar in some aspects of its equipment and rules to Go but was probably more like the modern Japanese game hasami shogi.
When I Played a Pro
“Choose how many stones,”
he said. I took the board and
Covered it in sand.
Ing Cup, 280th Edition
The stone vorpal-glowed,
Held by the spined insectid,
Humming patiently.
The holo-pundits looked on
(Still dressed for the '70s.)
The Birth of European Go
Splitting with the Pope,
Henry made new rules, claiming
Himself England’s Meijin.
Thanks. I think I’m more of a tanka man. It seems you can stay on point, whereas haiku requires an intuitive leap. ( I wonder if I’ve actually written one).