Cold

I think this is one of my strongest in a while.

Ever since you left,
I've had one of those colds
that just lingers.

After one day, I was stuck in bed,
feverish head and congested sinus,
barely breathing, unable to sleep,
muscles sore, feeling dizzy,
with a deep hacking cough
from a pool of phlegm in my chest,
and a steady, steady stream
dripping down from my nose,
punctuated by the occasional
explosive sneeze.

It would be bad enough
to feel alone and helpless and vulnerable
under normal circumstances.

So I just lay there
popping pill after pill
mixing my night and day medications
until I started hallucinating
and eventually all became clear.

By the end of the week,
I was still thinking of you,
but the fever had broken,
and the congestion died
down to a sniffle,
and I was free to go about my day
with only a minor
headache.
But it's been a month now
and I just can't seem
to finally put
the tissue box away.