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)