Flu's blues

at first i was afraid, i was petrified,
would i make it alone, with no one on my side?

but the time had come, i had to be free,
for how long would i be shunned by my own family,

they thought i was different, while we looked all the same,
i was kept in the corner, as if to hide some inner shame,

this one gray night it happened, i crept out on the road,
just me and this guitar, my one and only load.

passers sneered as i crossed, "is he the prodigal son?",
i quickened my steps, lest my cover be undone...

i sat by this river, strumming something a little blue,
"what's my purpose in this world, i'm just an ordinary flu",

but he crept from the shadows behind, a face marred with scars,
"I've been there, done that my friend, you can call me SARS"

And he told me the lessons of this new life i must lead,
there were others like me, i had found my chosen creed,

together we were ruthless, no one did we spare,
the monsoons were busy, we all got our penny's share,

But SARS came back one evening, he was unusually mum,
his eyes were swollen, lips were blue,.. i knew his time had come,

"Oh have you people no shame, have you forgotten the feeling of fear?
How could you even think of eradicating someone so dear?"

He sensed my agony, and held out his arm,
you're no longer an apprentice but the 'master of harm',

I appreciated the sentiment, but dint like the name,
it lacked a certain depth, it would never get me fame,

we debated all night, every option under the sun,
but only one felt strong, i would be called 'H1N1'

I spread like fire, from Mexico uptil Japan,
they trembled and called me swine! - "you poor idiots, I'll infect every man",

And one mid summers night, i saw my beloved prize,
this group of twelve, who still believed in all the lies,

i mingled freely, shared their every drink,
snuggled and waltzed till they were left at their very brink,

one mighty blow was all i thought it would take,
they were just kids after all, this would be a piece of cake,

"sniffle sniffle little lambs, go check your temperature degree,
Consider it a gift, i roared, from a man with no pedigree",

They sat there unfazed, some a little bemused,
As if this precious offer they had just bluntly refused,

Oh those bastards survived, not once did they fall,
not even antibiotics, they disgraced me with paracetamol,

back to the river! they said, to the place you had fled,
battered, bruised and broken, every ounce of me had bled,

i take out my guitar again to strum something blue,
just a has-been, a set extra, i'm an ordinary flu.. woo hooo hoo.