There’s a familiar feeling, that deep abdominal rumble
Churning and turning, as fluid and gases mix and tumble
It’s just borborygmus, the intestinal muscles contracting
Some sphincters start clenching while others are relaxing
You know how to calm the grumble, satisfy your hunger
But avoid the foods you enjoyed when you were younger
You approach the refrigerator, and that’s when it hits you
This is not borborygmus, it’s the dreaded “stomach flu!”
It’s taken you by surprise, so to the bathroom you retreat
Trying to decide the culprit, that suspiciously red meat?
Could it have been prevented, what should you have done?
No matter now, the invisible contaminant has already won
An explosive escape, the pathogen hopes to reach others
The first wave brings relief, then you’re struck by another
As your bowels empty, you make a new life commitment
A vegan lifestyle will be your self-prescribed treatment
But right now surviving this terrible bout seems uncertain
You’re weak and exhausted, dehydrated, and really hurtin’
After what seems an eternity, a change finally takes place
You have the strength to get off the ground, lift your face
For hours you’ve been kneeling before the porcelain bowl
As you drained your physical contents, offered up your soul
But you are the victor, for a moment you feel humbled, meek
You decide to reward yourself with the sushi from last week