the warm-hands sit

Rub your palms together, once, slowly, until they warm. Then rest one hand flat on your chest, or both in your lap, and breathe underneath them.

In through the nose, a count of four. A brief rest at the top. Out for a slow count of six, the hand rising and falling with everything else. Settle for a moment. Three rounds, the hand staying exactly where it is.

The body reads warmth as company; it is not particular about whose hand it is. Tonight it is your own, which is fitting. The person who tends everyone in this house is also on the roster.

You can stop here.