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)