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)