come on down to the Mermaid Cafe

   
                               the flu


days and nights so long
liquid bowels and a stomach that won’t accept
sleep foreign
comfort absconded

stuck in the house
can’t leave
can’t leave
need to be near the bathroom

so thirsty
so very, very thirsty
dreaming of guzzling water
quenching a cellular need for hydration

needle in vein 
shot in ass
meds dissolving on the tongue
ice chips melting into cheeks

sleep in fits and starts
two hours in bed
thirty minutes on the couch
cats confused by lack of petting

laundry, wash it again
smells of unwashed body and sick
saltines slowly leaving the pack
hummingbird bites of banana

hoping the universe leaves the rest of us alone
hoping this is a rare one off
hoping
hoping

again returning to normal
drinking
peeing
eating
solid
again returning to normal
lifting a glass of water high to make a toast
cheers
i live another day