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)