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)