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)