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)