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)