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)