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)