Ahmad Poetry

Even since I was little, I've always wanted to go to Japan. Japan is where some of my favorite foods and shows come from, and the city I've always wanted to visit most is Tokyo. I've heard of all the amazing street food and cultural experiences there, and since it is also more tourist-friendly than many other cities, it sounds like a good starting spot. Because of that, I chose a poem called Tokyo Tango , by David W Clare. Shadows dance on subway walls Through crowded bars and pachinko halls I came equipped for fun and play You dont have to tip but boy you pay The night runs deep when you miss the train After this trip you're never the same I fell into forbidden zones Ancient temples turned into internet shops dial for *** to her cellular telephone Step to the beat invent your own way If you can't dance you've got two left feet What's the difference let your hair down its time to play and dance the... Tokyo Tokyo Tango oh no no no Don't dance the... T...

I think the international representation of poets has been lacking. For example, I know nothing about Indian poets. I thought it would be cool to spend a week going all around the world to see how different cultures utilize this medium, and with that idea in mind, I decided to explore poetry from where my family is from. My favorite poem so far has been In the Bazaars of Hyderabad  by Sarojini Naidu. Here it is: What do you sell, o ye merchants? Richly your wares are displayed, Turbans of crimson and silver, Tunics of purple brocade, Mirrors with panels of amber, Daggers with handles of jade. What do you weigh, o ye vendors? Saffron and lentil and rice. What do you grind, o ye maidens? Sandalwood, henna and spice. What do you call, o ye pedlars? Chessmen and ivory dice. What do you make, o ye goldsmiths? Wristlet and anklet and ring, Bells for the feet of blue pigeons, Frail as a dragon-fly's wing, Girdles of gold for the dancers, Scabbards of gold for the ki...

Sweating bullets, the poet counted the syllables and rearranged her lines until her tanka poem was utter perfection. This poem is written in the Tanka form, a Japanese form mandating that of a five-line poem, the first and third lines must have five syllables and the other three lines must have seven, making 31 syllables in all and giving a complete picture of an event or mood. The poem I chose takes advantage of the poem form by presenting a perfect Tanka that goes over the challenges of its creation. It is short, sweet, and to the point.

It was in third grade that I bought my first basketball jersey. It was for a dress-up day during spirit week, and I was extremely excited. I remember rushing my mom to the mall so that I could buy not just any jersey, but my favorite player’s jersey. Despite being one of the biggest Bull’s fans to this day, there was nothing I wanted more that week than Kobe Bryant’s Lakers jersey. Coming up, Kobe was THE man, constantly winning championships like it was nothing. I remember my uncles used to have huge watch parties for the NBA finals and would always root for Kobe as a collective. Even my grandparents and mom, who barely knew English, watched, or understood basketball; knew about the living legend. They called him “ko-beach,” or cabbage, in our native tongue of Guajarati, making him immediately their favorite player. Even before his passing, cheering for and looking up to a man for his talents to the degree that people did with Kobe was insane. Though many people disliked Kobe, it was...