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)