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)