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)