I had a virus
Visit my fifth
Cranial Nerve –
The Trigeminal.
Brought me to
My knees.
Weeks in the hospital
Morphine – ICU – Weight loss,
Family in attendance
Round the clock.
Months of slow
Steady convalescence.
Recovery Complete
Miraculous
He had a virus
Visit his Eighth
Cranial Nerve –
The Auditory.
Stuffy nose
Scratchy throat
Sneezing – then –
Like a thief
In the night
With vicious precision
It robbed him of hearing.
No drama – no vigil
Just one-sided deafness.
Complete Irreversible
Bitter.
– jml (2010)
