[Stumped]

The Demon Drink
Stumped 2000

I clambered up the stairs to bed,
My head a swirling mess,
The Demon Drink had had his way,
For I was drunk, no less,
I struggled to the bathroom so,
To empty forth my gut,
And glancing in the mirror saw,
A visage to rebut.

I stumbled ‘gainst the balustrade,
My limbs no longer mine,
And fought to shed my clothing,
Feeling anything but fine,
The Demon Drink had snared me,
In his alcoholic trap,
And like the fool he proved I was,
I’d hastened to the tap.

I fumbled for my night attire,
And donned it with a sigh,
The Demon Drink inside my head,
Had rent me fit to die,
The room spun all around me,
The nightlight pierced my brain,
No matter where I laid my head,
I failed to stem the pain.

I turned towards my bedside lamp,
And saw him standing there,
A cheeky chappie, inches high
With multicoloured hair,
The Demon Drink, he grinned at me,
I rubbed my eyes, confused,
And must have looked a pretty sight,
All drunken and bemused.

I rolled o’er on my stomach,
And hailed him with a groan,
He wagged a finger at me,
Which implied ‘You’re on your own !’
The Demon Drink took umbrage,
When I tried to grab his tail,
By pounding on my fragile head,
Like hammering a nail.

I ceded to his rancour,
And fell into a trance,
The Demon Drink had found me,
Most amenable to chance,
When I awoke next morning,
I swore: ‘No more would I . . .
Imbibe The Devil’s nectar
Else he look me in the eye !’

End