Gentle Snow

Mr. Sakanoue’s eyes fluttered open on the first crow of the rooster. It is all too tempting to stay exactly where he lay on the tatami so as to preserve precisely the warmth that guarded his wintry sleep. His mind protested, getting up is a difficult thing to learn. Fortunately, Mr. Sakanoue inherited a great aptitude for learning in all subjects including getting up. His rhythmic, steamy breaths cleaved through the air. He turned onto his side and his sleeping beauty, Mrs. Sakanoue, had scarcely stirred from her wondrous dreams. “Never disturb anyone's happiness. Besides, I always appreciated her night’s work more…” He caught himself smiling. “It’s too early in the day to think about night.”

In that instant he became more aware still. It was too early to think about night, but through the shoji window, the light shone brighter than usual. Mr. Sakanoue mused, “Certainly I could’ve overslept but definitely not the roosters. The gods themselves make sure of it. Must be the mid-month moon, beaming with such graceful power even now!” He got dressed to greet the light of day by the door. But when he slid open the door, nature herself greeted Mr. Sakanoue in a glistening, pristine, soft white coat. Enchanted, he felt a unity with greater presences in the land of Yamato, as though he was Mount Yoshino in all its snowy glory. With this lingering epiphany, Mr. Sakanoue gracefully accepted his invitation, stepping out from the dream world, into the dreamy world.