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)