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)