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)