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)