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)