Nearing the end of flu
season and I’ve made it
this far unscathed. But

today I ache–
head, a crushed bag
of ice; throat, sore,

a glimpse of Hell.
April coughs all it has
on me– rain, snow, hail,
sleet.

          Spring,
cover your contagious
mouth, please.

(originally published in Red Eft Review, Summer 2020)