SayPro NATIONAL HAIKU POETRY DAY – April 17

Celebration Speech by SayPro Royal Chiefs
Presented by SayProCMR

Honourable Guests, Distinguished Elders, Poets, and SayPro Family,

Today, on this sacred day – April 17 – we gather not merely to recite poems, but to honour the power of words distilled to their most elegant form: the haiku.

As SayPro Royal Chiefs, we do not just stand for tradition – we live it, shape it, and pass it on. Haiku, though born in ancient Japan, speaks with the same reverence to nature, to silence, and to spirit that our own African oral traditions hold dear.

A haiku is not only a poem.
It is a whisper of the earth.
A moment held in breath.

Today, SayProCMR bridges continents and cultures. We bring the minimalist grace of haiku into harmony with the deep oral soul of Africa. This is not appropriation – it is appreciation, collaboration, and celebration.

We call on our young voices to write.
We call on our elders to teach.
We call on all of Africa to speak in 17 syllables – and to let silence do the rest.

[Chief pauses for a ceremonial haiku:]

Rain drums on the roof
Whispers of our ancestors
Guiding every line

Let this day echo across SayPro regions and villages.
Let it live in classrooms, town halls, homes, and hearts.
Let the 5-7-5 become a rhythm of reflection, of respect, and of revolution.

From the dusty paths of Limpopo to the bustling spirit of Kigali, to every SayPro chapter in Africa and beyond – this day belongs to the poet in all of us.

In unity and verse,
We celebrate the power of the SayPro pen.
We honour the haiku spirit.
We uplift the voice of the people – 17 syllables at a time.

Thank you.
Royal Chiefs of SayPro, Standing Proud.

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