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)