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)