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)