Full Moon Over The Flying Dragon

In honor of Guy Gavriel Kay coming to the store in May to celebrate the launch of his new book Under Heaven 

I've selected a poem by Li Bai 

Alone and Drinking Under the Moon

Amongst the flowers I

am alone with my pot of wine

drinking by myself; then lifting

my cup I asked the moon

to drink with me, its reflection

and mine in the wine cup, just

the three of us; then I sigh

for the moon cannot drink,

and my shadow goes emptily along

with me never saying a word;

with no other friends here, I can 

but use these two for company;

in the time of happiness, I 

too must be happy with all

around me; I sit and sing

and it is as if the moon

accompanies me; then if I

dance, it is my shadow that

dances along with me; while 

still not drunk, I am glad 

to make the moon and my shadow

into friends, but then when

I have drunk too much, we

all part; yet these are 

friends I can always count on

these who have no emotion

whatsoever; I hope that one day

we three will meet again,

deep in the Milky Way. 

(poem from Poet Seers)

As I walked the dog around the courtyard on this evening of the full moon, I remembered another poem by an Australian writer, Judith Wright, that is included in Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection  selected by Michael Rosen with pictures by Paul Howard 

Full Moon Rhyme

There's a hare in the moon tonight,

crouching alone in the bright buttercup field of the moon;

and all the dogs in the world

howl at the hare in the moon.

(read the rest here and then buy the book here or there)

Over at Terri Windling's Drawing Board she has reminded me that we are close to Beltane , it brings to mind the haunting music, Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance, by Lorenna McKennitt and the novel, Ysabel , by Guy Gavriel Kay that takes place at Beltane.

Etcetera

Make a cup of tea and settle down to enjoy Nancy Pearl 

interviewing Guy Gavriel Kay. - Cath