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)