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)