A bamboo sprout

Picked too soon-

It would bloom in glory

But for man

~Issa (trans: N Yuasa: The Year of My Life)

In the above haiku, Issa has written about imaginary blossoms.  Yuasa notes that bamboo sprouts are harvested when they are young and soft and that they bear no flowers even if they are left to grow.  After: “alternative facts”  Before: “imaginary blossoms”

lost in translation