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)