Rugby

The ABBA rhyme scheme for a modern tanaga can perform wonders when used effectively. For a short poem, such as the Tanaga, rhymes can be exploited to pair word associations where there will be most impact.

In this socially relevant depiction of Manila's streetkids, Jheric Saracho used 1 full near rhyme in the form AAAA, to associate 4 words: pulubi, labi, natuli, rugby (beggar, lips, circumcised, rugby - an addictive solvent street kids use to ward off hunger pangs). The same set of words rhymes strictly as ABBA to create words pairs pulubi-rugby, labi-tuli, which alternatively becomes an ironic word relation on pulubi-natuli, and labi-rugby; the rugby thus becoming the street kids' source of nourishment:

Rugby

Mga batang pulubi,
may gatas pa sa labi,
hindi pa nga natuli,
nalulong na sa rugby.

- Jheric A. Saracho,
Philippines.

Like the Japanese Haiku, the Tanaga is a difficult poem to make due to its targetted brevity, and limiting measure. What makes this a harder art is how to settle the the problem of utilizing the rhymes to their best effect.