My Tryst With Ibs Poem by Venkateswaran Krishnan Sreenivasan

Decades ago, I was seized with this malady
That, the specialist said, has no remedy
Choose what you eat by trial and error
A verdict that instilled a sense of terror

IBS doesn't pose a lifestyle threat
He reassured in the very next breath
The fructose breath test will clinch your state
Of fructose intolerance, an IBS mate

Fruits of my choice turned into my curse
Their juices made my agony worse
I searched for every known resource
To be symptom free sans drug recourse

Years have passed with no major event
As my controlled life style made a sobering bent
With the malady playing ducks and drakes with my heart
That missed a beat sometimes and made me start

Temptations lure my senses that are fickle
The gustatory the victim they first tickle
That leads me to face the music
That sends me into a panic