apparently
a tortoise has nerve endings
in its shell
which itself is a modified breastbone
a skeleton on the outside
looking smooth and rough
it feels everything
in its actual bones
whereas i have only my skin
and where there is numbness
there exists dull pressure
like a weight through cotton
or a talk show host’s monologue
you can work on these exercises
to increase mobility
extend range of motion
reduce joint pain
hold
shear
twist
repeat
in the desert i traded my skin
for bones
and learned to eat bugs
when flipped on my back
i watched you cook me in the sun
the desert sky your big easy bake oven
number 9
Words and Feathers 
I wish we all had thick skin and hard bones to withstand the scrapes and falls of life. Fragile we might be and yet we must keep getting up when we wind up in awful positions. Tortoises have the longest lifespan of all animals on land. Not too weak for a slow poke.