Sentence:  I have more than once sat cross-legged in the grass through a long summer morning and watched without <WSD>touching</WSD> while a poppy bud higher than my head slowly but visibly pushed off its cap , unfolded , and shook out like a banner in the sun its flaming vermilion petals . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  make physical contact with, come in contact with