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)