Hot lemon and ginger

Day 2 of being unable to swallow without pain. And over last (sleepless) night, a cold developed. I feel rubbish.

This is one of two mugs that come out at the beginning of December and get stowed away again at the end of January. They were a prezzie from my sister-in-law some years ago, and make me feel all Christmassy.

Currently, they're mostly containing Twining's hot lemon and ginger to soothe my swallowing. (My throat's not sore, as such; just so tight that it hurts.) Grrr. Still, better now than in three weeks' time when the family will be home for Crimbo.

So, it's an emergency blip, but I do have a poem to accompany it that I wrote some years ago, called

Virus

Virus does right to begin with a V,
Virulent, violent, vile.
I finger its sign but it's stronger than me,
Wicked and wasting and wild.
V is for victory over each vein,
Each vestige of life it will visit with pain,
DNA-variant, vagabond, vice,
Vengeful, vindictive, a viper with verve,
Verminous, vomitive, cruel as ice,
Vigorous villain attacking each nerve.
I finger its sign but it vanquishes me:
Virus does right to begin with a V.

poem © Celia Warren 2011

Will catch up with comments anon.