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)