Poisoned Blood

It clings to me like a second skin, inducing pain

Like a pair of rain sodden jeans I want to dispense

Slowly it seeps through to my tissues

And to my muscles, piercing my veins

As it absorbs into my blood, my red and white cells

Do battle as it starts to filter through my body

My heart races, pulse increases: blood pressure drops

And tears in my eyes start to surge and well

Aching muscles and joints, I start to shiver and shake

Rigours have uncontrollable effects, so cold; I feel so cold

I reach for another layer of clothes, I feel weak; so tired

I try to sleep it off through a total body quake

Another layer of clothes, more bed clothes I struggle with

Tears I have fought that now purge and pelt down my face

I feel nauseous; I resign myself to retching and vomiting

I am its prisoner from now on; I have no choice herewith

My core temperature increases rapidly I battle

Between a semi-conscious and awareness state

I’m on a hospital trolley; a doctor pierces my skin

With a needle and draws up infected blood

An intravenous drip allows fluids to drip in

A race against time; but what will win?

E.C.G’s scans, x-rays and several lumbar punctures

I have little notion of tests nor time

As I sleep unaware whether I’m alive or dead

A fine line is balanced at this juncture

Six days later and I start to wake from

A clouded and foggy, dream-like state

Septicaemia has once more taken me to

The brink and back again; a veritable time bomb

It was my enemy; not my friend

I thank God that this wasn’t the end

© Andrea Coltman