toki lili
27 poems in Toki Pona

Starring:
anon, jan Epen, jan Esi, jan Jonatan,
jan Kolo, jan Melon,
jan Nuse, jan Ojon, jan Polijan, janSimiman, jan Simon, jan Siwen, jansonala, jan suno, lon Jawin
and tomato emoji ( )🍅Preface and publishing by jan Sema

Preface
Toki Pona is a constructed language built
by Sonja Lang in 20011.
I see so many applications for thislanguage! I believe that its powershouldn’t stop at art and could help
people from all around the world
understanding each other.
It could be a tool to help people
communicate with each other. Natives
and foreigners, abled and disabled
people, children and caretakers, friends,couples, … the list is, in my opinion,endless.
This book regroups 27 poems madeduring a Discord2 contest. The sole rule
Toki Pona: The Language of Good (2014) / ISBN-13
978-0978292300
2
Discord is a VoIP, instant messaging and digital
distribution platform.
1for this contest was to make a poem
using the syllable structure 5/5/6. Best
poems were elected by community vote.
The winner can be found page 12 of thisbook. The second prize can be foundpage 5. I’ll let you appreciate the varietyof each submission, not limited at all by
the simplicity of the language.
It is with great pleasure that I publish
this book, as a parting gift. For personalreasons, I will no longer be an active
member of the community.
However, I hope everyone will keep thelove for this language and that one day,everyone will have heard once of theLanguage of Good.

mi wile e ni: sina olin e lipu ni.
toki ale li pona mute.
pona tawa sina.
mi tawa!

sina, sina la,ken ala mi la.
pilin. ante. seme?

anon

sina o lukin
o lukin e mimi en sina li wan3

jan Epen

This poem won the second best poem prize among
other poems from this book, by community vote.
3

mi pilin e ni:
mi ko li lon kon.
mi jo ala e kon
mi awen awen.
tawa li kama.
mi la sina weka

jan Esimun lon pimeja
li suno walo
li pona pilin janmoli li lon mila pilin ike
li lon jan poka mikijetesantakalu tonsi li
lanpan e soko mi

jan Jonatannoka li wawa
suli kalama
akesi li awen4

jan Kolo

This poem is inspired by haiku classics and depict a frog
in a pond.
4nena tu li lon.
meso la mi lon.
mi ken sona e tu.
sewi pimeja,
jaki ilo li,
lili e suno mun.
seli lon lili
lete lon suli
nasin tenpo li ni

jan Melon

ma ni li letesewi nena la
mi lukin e suno

jan Nusepimeja li lon.
sina lukin la
mun mute li kama.

jan Ojonseli li pini.
moli li kama.
o monsuta ala.5
tenpo kama la,sina olin sin.
mi tu li pakala.
nimi li suli!
poki li lili!
kijetesantaka...6

jan Polijan

5This poem won the best poem prize among otherpoems from this book, by community vote.
6
This poem won the most funny poem prize among otherpoems from this book, by community vote.

o esun e ni:
len pi jan lili.
ona ali li sin.7

jan Simiman

7

This poem is based on the english flash fiction “For sale:baby shoes, never worn.”seme li lon kin?
seme li wawa?
ali li ken pona!
mi lukin e mami wile weka
taso - mi ken ala
o sona e ni:ale li ponao lukin e ona!

jan Simon

awen lon ma la,
lukin waso la,pona li kama lon.
suno en sina,
li seli pona,e sinpin lawa mi.
suno open la,sewi li kule;telo wawa li lon.

jan Siwen

kiwen li awen
kon wawa li lon
len li ala kiwen

jan sonalakalama suli
jan mute li lon
ale li kalama

jan suno

...tan ni: tenpo litawa li weka
la mi tawa sina

lon Jawin

aaaaaaaaaa
a a “yupekosi”

🍅published in March 2022