Congratulations to all those on the Babishai 2017 haiku 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-giving ceremony will be held in Kampala on Sunday 6 August at Humura Resort. Cards are on sale at 40,000/-.
Contact George Kiwanuka on +256 703 147862
