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)