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)