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)