after: #1

a bit drunk

stepping lightly

in the spring wind

Ryokan (1758-1831)

This is the first in a series of "afters" I'll be posting here from time to time. An "after" is a version–a free translation (inevitably free, since I don't read Japanese)/imitation/adaptation–of a haiku or senryu by one of the Japanese masters; in this case, as indicated, Ryokan. What I'm going for in each case is something that will pass muster as an English-language haiku, rather than a literal duplication of the original. If I don't convey exactly what the original says, I hope I express what it makes me want to say.

NB: It's not entirely impossible that my version might inadvertently match a version already published somewhere else by somebody else. If you're aware of this, please let me know.