2018 was a rough year

A year unlike any I’d ever seen
was the year of 2000 and 18
In the springtime, my beloved sister Sandy died
Wasn’t expecting that one, oh, how I cried

Was only weeks later, as unexpected as could be
A drunken driver, took my friend Rose from me.
I didn’t think life could be much sadder, and to think
Of the man that took Rose’s life just made me madder.

June was okay, my children’s Dad wrote and told me
That he was going to retire after 24 years of working at his job
But three weeks after his retirement, my daughter called me,
Dad was very ill, wasn’t going to make it through the next day.
And so, at the age of 62, the father of my children passed away

And in July one week later, a friend told me of a simple operation.
We were old high school and Facebook pals, I didn’t think this simple
Operation would fail. But fail it did, complications set in, and two days
later, my friend Debi was gone.

It had been a year, but no, wait one more to go. Another high school pal,
This time cancer took a friend away from me. And so now Mike also
said good-bye and at last he was cancer free.

Yes, the year of 18 was hard on me,
but death is a part of life after all.
But another year like that of eighteen
On me will take its toll!

Mary Lacey
28 Jan 2020