Penicillium notatum, please let me be
Your moldy existence is killing me
Your malignant spores are everywhere
I breathe them in, but you do not care
You invade my life and make it hell
How to be free of your toxic spell
You’re inside, outside, everywhere
You’re on my clothes and in my hair
My food has lost its taste and lure
I remember when it seemed so pure
My head feels full and tight each day
I pray, when will you go away
I try to write, but am bemused
Gazing down at keys unused
Memory lapse is all too common
And names alas, are oft- forgotten
A thought will come then drifts away
Oh well, perhaps another day
Should I seal myself within a bubble?
Relieve myself of daily struggle?
I long for winter’s frigid temps
Perhaps, I hope, your grip relents
But judging from the year that passed
I’ve little hope that it will last
In three to five years they say
The shots will make it go away
I hope for my sake they’re not wrong
I only hope I last that long
-
Author:
Bella Shepard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: August 19th, 2023 11:22
- Comment from author about the poem: I was allergy tested in Feb. of this year and found that I'm allergic to every seasonal allergy, and in particular to a mold spore, Penicillium Notatum which was the worst. To all of you who struggle with allergies, I commiserate, misery does love company.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 11
- Users favorite of this poem: L. B. Mek
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Comments6
Now, lookie here, someone I knew at an Arts & Crafts Show, including yummy cakes, said she is allergic to cream, so she took photos of those that have cream in them. Eh? She is not a show judge, so she won't be eating any, cream or not. They go to charities!
Now when it comes to cream I might risk it, especially for charities. Thanks for reading Orchi and have a great Sat. or whatever is left of it.
But she wouldn't be allowed to eat any goodies, as she is not a show judge! Also - people taking 'selfies' of pots of jam, loaves of bread, etc. A bit 'sad' unless they are the winners themselves. lol. I tried Blackcurrant Gin or something. Did I? Blleeuurggh!
People seem to be so proud of whatever they do these days, they want to share it with the world for better or worse. As for the Blackcurrant Gin, were you able to keep it down? Or was "blleeuurggh" your appraisal of the taste? Either way, it sounds ghastly!
I gave some to me 'mate' KP! lol.
Good boy!
What I want to know is - why take photos of cakes, pots of jam, and various rather 'sad' things to take pictures of? Unless they are winners taking pics of their own items? lol.
That's a tough one. I have a cousin who takes pictures of a meal that she orders in a restaurant. In fact, she takes pictures of everything, I mean everything. Oh well, whatever toots your horn. I've pretty much given up on trying to understand why people do the things they do. Take care my friend!
Yes, we give up trying to understand some things.
Now I reckon I know why a guy was carrying shopping while walking backwards. He was preparing for the half-mile 'Annual Walking Backwards While Carrying Shopping' Event. We know it well, yes?! It's nutty! lol. Much more of this kinda stuff and they'll take us away. Coooee, is that you in the padded cell next to mine?
I think I saw that event in a Monty Python sketch, or should have. If you hear sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and a lot of mumbling incoherently, that's me right next door. Hope I'm not keeping you awake nights, but it's good to know a friend is near. As I say "misery loves company", you with KP and me with mold. Although I have to say, perhaps KP is worse? Be good Orchi!
I suffered with allergies for a long time. Not much anymore. Hope it all ends well for you. I write in spurts like that, Then I eventually combine several pieces into a poem. Thoroughly enjoyed this poem. - Phil A.
Thank you my friend for reading and your kindest comments. I know what you mean about spurts. You have to make hay while the sun shines, or when the mold index is low, and for me probably not a good idea to make hay, I'm probably allergic to it. lol
I suffer from the sneezes during pollen season – which owing to the funny weather (trying to avoid the words ‘climate change’!) seems to be all year long…
Mercifully free of mold in my particular unit. Not so for at least two other occupants of our complex, who eventually had their units completely gutted, their furniture either thoroughly sanitized or destroyed and ventilation improved. All this at company expense (independent living aged care).
There’s no easy answer to the devil mold, Bella, but your piece serves as a well documented health warning at the very least.
Thank you dearest Dave, I always look forward to your comments. You're right about the dreaded climate change. I've always had seasonal allergies that lasted briefly, but these days one season runs into another, and there's no reprieve. We had the house tested receltly for mold spores and found some active in the basement, which will be remediated. However it doesn't account for the severe reaction I have to mold, and so much of it is from our volatile weather. I've considered Antarctica, but that's really not a viable option. Take care my friend!
although I am not a sufferer myself .. well not in that sense .. my wife used to suffer terribly with an allergy to a particular winter flowering spore .. I dont envy you Bella but I do admire you writing about it .. Neville
Thank you so much my friend for commiserating. Sorry to hear your wife suffered (hopefully past tense), with allergy, it does become debilitating at times. The last two years have been the worst, and I think climate change has had a lot to do with it. I challenge myself each morning, before looking at the mold/allergy index, to guess when the index is high, and I'm usually right. So I walk into the allergist, roll up my sleeves, and said "Shoot me". lol Take care and have a great day!
Dear Bella I have an allergy to some unknown weed that blooms each year it makes eyes run and nose sniffle but is not anywhere near as bad as many people. I empathize and hope you are not affected too badly. The poem itself was fun as far as it could be knowing that you suffer from this.
Thank you dear friend, always so good to hear from you, and appreciate your most welcome comments. Sorry to hear that the mystery weed affects you, but glad that it's mild. My seasonal allergies used to be mild until climate change literally changed all that, now the season is 12 months long. But what the hey, good days are good, and bad days are just there. Take care my friend!
Brilliant!
your words bring back sound
of my sister and father
sneezing, their tear filled eyes
of shackled frustration..
(such a great write)
Thank you dear friend, I am blushing as I read your too kind words. I often think we have become so far removed from the natural world that we are now aliens, trying to combat a hostile environment, having to load ourselves with medication and shots just to survive that, which at one time, we were one with. Even though it makes us sneeze and tear, we still can't get enough of it. Best wishes my friend!
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