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)