Wednesday, July 19, 2017

THE BABISHAI 2017 HAIKU SHORTLIST




Below are the Babishai Haiku 2017 shortlisted pieces. Congratulations to all those on the shortlist.




drone season
from the harmattan mango
a fly calls flies

Justice Joseph Prah
Ghana





at dawn
the sky denies a lonely moon
a place to plant a foot

Osemwengie Zion
Nigeria



moon circle
palms into palms
an armless child breaks the ring

Kuadegbeku Pamela
Ghana




market square--
the town crier's voice
summons a crowd

Akor  Emmanuel Oche
Nigeria




A slice of the moon
swimming in the calm night pond--
another festival

Charlotte Akello
Uganda






harmattan
unseen broom sweeping
everywhere

Anthony Itopa Obaro
 Nigeria





Ugandan road...
a shrivelled leaf flies in
a cloud of dust


Abubasam Fahad Mutumba
Uganda




 downpour
waterfalls from rooftops
pouring into buckets

ANTHONY ITOPA OBARO
Nigeria





abandoned mirror-
the crow finds company
with its own image

Fred Kweku Forson
Ghana





migratory birds
black news fly
out of Zululand

Ahmad Holderness
Nigeria





the drunken cockroach
reels around the verandah-
rooster chuckles

Acen Miriam Carolyne
Uganda





under the bright moon,
fairy tales bring chill bumps
around log-fires

Kwao Jonathan Tetteh
Ghana





crickets' chirps
break the quiet of night:
an old man deserts his armchair

Nnedi Ezenwa Ohaeto
Nigeria





harmattan mango
the first ripening
in the midday sun


Justice Joseph Prah
Ghana





roadside
gaunt vultures nipped
a zonked drunkard 

Obaji Nwali Shegun
Nigeria





savannah hunt...
vultures rush to the kill
before me

Alawonde Theophilus Femi
Nigeria




in different fonts
an old school wall exhibits 
aliases of past students. 

Dan’bala Umar
Ghana




nightfall
the modulated chirping 
of hidden crickets

Akor Emmanuel  Oche
Nigeria





July rain. . .
my child traces her name 
on the car’s windscreen

Usman Karofi
Nigeria





last night’s rain
in the morning mud 
fresh toad prints


Kariuki wa Nyamu
Kenya






an owl hoots
we rush to papa's bed
too late

Alawonde Theophilus Femi
Nigeria

The award ceremony takes place on Sunday 6 August in Kampala at Humura Resort. Cards are on sale.


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