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)