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)