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)