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)