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)