of half a thousand
active rikishi, select
handful make the top
each one starts at literal
bottom of banzuke scroll
even that’s after
having navigated harsh
world of closed beya
Tochinoshin currently-ranked
as high Euro rikishi
entered Nagoya
with only thirteen men ranked
higher on the scroll
five full divisions below,
and most of makuuchi
he got kinboshi
on day one, beat ozeki
class with his big ass
but day two brought Hakuho,
number one yokozuna
over two dozen
times these two men met - never
has Hakuho lost
Tochinoshin has grappled
up the sumo pyramid
but each time he gets
near the top, he hits a wall,
tumbling back downwards
both men’s fists touch, and blast off,
Tochinoshin barrels in
Hakuho moves back
briefly, then regains root feet;
the wall has been built
Tochinoshin tries to lift
the wall, clutching mawashi
the wall sways but does
not give; Tochinoshin leans
in, catching his breath
two walls resting against each
other, probing for weakness
Tochinoshin goes
again to lift wall, push it back -
the wall comes alive
as Tochinoshin goes on
one foot to push, the wall lifts
the wall seizes the
other man’s force, twists it round -
Tochinoshin out
twenty-five times, headfirst has
Tochinoshin hit the wall
twenty-five times now
Tochinoshin has gotten
nowhere - zero wins
you can conquer five hundred
rikishi, sit high on scroll
those last few spots stroked
in the largest letters do not
budge so easily
Tochinoshin loses, walks
back, insecure in his place
No comments:
Post a Comment