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)