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)