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)