a creak

a creak here and a crack there
that's how you know that you have a body
an ache here and a pain there
that's how you know you're alive

an itch here and an ouch there
that's how you know you are covered with skin
that throbbing pain in your temple or back brain
that's how you know you are smart

a bleed here and a burn there
that's how you know you are gifted with fingers
a sneeze here and a snot there
that's how you know you can smell

that temporary blindness and its cousin confusion
that's how you know you can see with your own eyes
the strain that it takes to get up out of bed
tells you that you have a life