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