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)