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)