It starts off with a sniffle,
A runny nose brought home one day.
And creeps across the household,
Till it feels like it’s here to stay.
Temperatures start flaring,
Sniffles turn to barking sounds.
Noses run from clear to green,
A cacophony of coughs all round.
The tissues pile up in the bin.
Hands dried out from water and soap.
We’re who knows how many days in now,
Everyone is at the end of their rope.
The baby seems allergic,
To being on the ground.
He screams till he’s red in the face,
If you dare for a second put him down.
The toddler sniffles as he watches tv.
Guilt creeps when you think how long.
But everyone is down with this bug,
It’s survival - there’s no right or wrong.
And just when you can’t take one more,
Day at home with muffled coughs.
Noses dry and smiles return,
You’ve made it through this rough.
The world seems a little brighter,
You breathe in and smell the air.
Wipe the cobwebs from your mind,
As you finally wash your hair.
The bugs they wear you down.
And it feels like one after another.
Resilience low, at breaking point,
you can’t think of anything less you’d rather -
Than another bout of bugs and germs.
the hardness of it all so real.
‘This too shall pass’ and all the rest,
Time as it always has, will heal.
