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)