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)