Sitting in the flowers with a bottle of wine, <br />alone, I pour another glass <br />and raise it to salute the moon, <br />who, with my shadow, makes three of us. <br /> <br />The moon’s not drinking; <br />my shadow’s a copycat; <br />let’s have fun anyway, <br />enjoy Spring while we can. <br /> <br />I sing: the moon dances. <br />I dance: my shadow staggers. <br />While I drink, they’re my best friends: <br />when I fall over, they scatter. <br /> <br />Promise me we’ll be friends for ever, <br />do this again with the stars in heaven. <br /> <br />(after Li Bai [Li Po],701-762)<br /><br />Wild Bill Balding<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/off-his-face-in-the-flower-border-after-li-bai/
