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)