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)