MOUSE GIRL LIKES SHOES          
                                          
                                      
                                          
 IN  THIS DREAM  I  WAS A  GIRL OF  MAYBE 
 SIXTEEN YEARS, TOGETHER  WITH MY DAD  IN 
 A  HUGE  BATH  HOUSE  / SPA  /  HOTEL  / 
 SHOPPING CENTRE.      DAD  WAS CONSTATLY 
 POINTING OUT HOT GIRLS  TO  ME. "YOU SEE 
   THAT BLACK-HAIRED THING DISSAPEARING   
 BEHIND  THE  CLOTHES  RACK?  OOF!"  HE'D 
 SAY.  HE WAS  ALWAYS VERY  CREEPY  ABOUT 
 THIS,   GOING   FOR    GIRLS   MY   AGE. 
                                          
 THIS NIGHT  HE  HAD JUST TRIED  TO WOO A 
 GIRL HE CALLED A "MOUSE" BY  BUYING  HER 
 SHOES,  BUT SHE  HAD ACCEPTED  THEM ONLY 
 TO  RUN AWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD.  DAD 
 WAS  A  BIT   BUMMED  BUT   DROPPED   IT 
 QUICKLY.  I SAID  GOODNIGHT TO  HIM  AND 
       WENT LOOKING FOR THE MOUSE.        
                                          
 THE BUILDING WAS ENORMOUS  AND MAZELIKE. 
 WALLS,  FLOORS AND  PILLARS WERE SET  IN 
 GREEN MARBLE.  THROUGHOUT THE  HOUSE RAN 
 A  MAIN  BOULEVARD,  WIDE  AS  A STREET, 
 FRAMED WITH CLAY VASES DARK AS  OBSIDIAN 
 AND  TALLER THAN A PERSON. IN  EACH VASE 
 WAS  PLACED UPRIGHT  A  LEAF FROM A PALM 
 TREE  OR GIANT FERN.  THE BOULEVARD  WAS 
 DIMLY LIT,  WHICH ALLOWED THE POOLS THAT 
   WERE GENEROUSLY SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT   
    EACH FLOOR WOULD REFLECT SUGGESTIVE   
          PATTERNS ON THE MARBLE.         
                                          
                                      
                                          
 FOLLOWING THE BOULEVARD,  TWO FLOORS  UP 
 I  FOUND  HER  CRYING  BEHIND  TWO  FERN 
 VASES.  SHE  WAS  BEAUTIFUL,  AND  AS  I 
 APPROACHED, SHE LOOKED UP AND  SNIVELED. 
 IN  THE  NEAREST VASE  SHE  HAD  STUFFED 
              BOTH THE SHOES.             
                                          
 I  TOLD HER  TO  FOLLOW, BUT SHE  DIDN'T 
 MOVE  OR  SPEAK. SO INSTEAD  I  SAID  TO 
 STAY THERE,  AND RAN TO GET HER A BETTER 
 PAIR  OF  SHOES THAT SHE  WOULD ACTUALLY 
 LIKE.  WHEN  I  RETURNED,  HAVING  SPENT 
 MORE  THAN  I  COULD REALLY AFFORD,  SHE 
 WAS VISIBLY IMPRESSED. I  TRIED TO SOUND 
 COOL,  SAYING  SOMETHING  LIKE  "WHAT DO 
 YOU THINK,  JUST  BECAUSE  A GIRL  HAS A 
 FREAKY DAD,  SHE  DOESN'T  HAVE  TASTE?" 
 BUT  MOUSE  GIRL  JUST  LAUGHED  AT  ME. 
                                          
 SHE THEN TOOK ME BY  THE HAND AND LED ME 
 OUT  A  SIDE   ROUTE  TO   A  CLOSED-OFF 
 ROOFTOP WALKING  GARDEN, FULL OF JUNIPER 
 AND THUJA.  IT  WAS A LATE  EVENING, AND 
     THE STARS WERE GLITTERING. BEING     
 CLOSED, THE  GARDEN HAD ITS LIGHT TURNED 
 OFF, BUT  WE COULD  STILL  SEE  OUR  WAY 
 AROUND  BY THE LIGHT SHINING  DOWN  FROM 
 THE  WINDOWS   OF   THE  HIGHER  FLOORS. 
                                          
 SHE LAY  DOWN IN A PATCH OF GRASS. I SAT 
 DOWN  ON  MY  KNEES,  AND  THEN  CRAWLED 
 CLOSER.  SHE LAUGHED  AT  ME  AGAIN, AND 
                  SAID -                  
                                          
                                      
                                          
 (HERE I AM AWAKENED BY THE MORNING CREW)