In my dream I woke up in Japan
I was sitting behind a sturdy barrier
In an ultra modern railway station
Around me there were a number of rather excited schoolchildren
A Bullet Train was about to pass at speed
Each of the children had their camera focused on the running line
But I had no camera nor did I have a phone
So I remained seated on my bench reading haiku
A short while later a low long coloured train
Screamed through the dormant station
It was travelling at over 300 kph
I was moved yet totally unmoved
Northern Europeans rarely show emotion
Or at least that is what I thought
A young boy of about nine years
Noticed that I had dropped my book of poems
He reached under the stainless seat and retrieved it
I thanked him in English and knew that he had understood me
He showed me his recording of the train passing
And then his teacher called him away
Nothing else happened as when I opened my eyes
I saw you asleep beach blond lazy in morning sun
I knew then that I had returned from my dream