On Thursday, July 7, Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation announced its shortlist for its inaugural Haiku competition, Babishaiku. Haiku poems consist of 3 lines. The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables. The lines rarely rhyme. The shortlisted poets include:
- Blessmond Alebna Ayinbire (Ghana)
fogbound day…
everyone suffers
myopia
- Chibuihe-Light Obi from Nigeria
weaver birds…
the bombed market
echoes back to life
- Kwaku Feni Adow (Ghana)
blackout evening
the moon lights up
outdoor conversation
- Ayesha Kajee (South Africa)
When the rain-drones drop
kaleidoscopes explode from
Namaqualand’s soul
- Kwaku Feni Adow (Ghana)
new buds
the farmland throws off
a past of harmattan fire
- Chibuihe-Light Obi ( Nigeria)
orange sunset –
fisherman’s shadow
afloat on the waves
Earlier this year, Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation called for Ugandan female poets to submit their poems. The #Babishai2016 Poetry Festival will be held in Kampala from Aug. 24-26, 2016.