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)