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)