Drinking Under the Moon

                                    by Li Po

A jug of wine        among flowers 

in the moonlight     nobody close

so I raised my cup to the bright moon

bade it drink with me

just the three of us

bright moon     my shadow     and me

shadows only imitate

the moon cannot comprehend

in spite of that we were happy

you must enjoy life in Spring

I sang   the moon listened

I danced   my shadow capered about

we were once all strangers

now    we are such good friends

we drink

we laugh

we laugh 

we drink

though we’ll part

we'll all meet once more

to journey beyond time

T’ang Dynasty

translated by David Sen, Dick Russell

©Dick Russell, 2013

Exercise

I’m nowhere near where I wanted to be

I get closer each time I try

I shrug my shoulders, flex my neck

pulse pathways taking blood to my brain

not limerick ready

not quick silver smart

not able to rhyme on a dime

but necklaces of iambs dactyls trochaics

long sentences

shorter

even pardons

or two

I can take all from my mine

copyright (C) Dick Russell

               2019