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)