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)