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)