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)