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)