A Poem About My Father, Death From Cancer

My father died from lung cancer on January third,denoted new years was past,
2005. After entering a nursing facility for rehab, weit was time to look up and move ahead.
soon discovered that he had stage four small-cell lungBut the end of new years now fills me with
cancer. He lived for three and one-half weeks afterdarkness,
his diagnosis.While January third never had anythoughts of tomorrow now fill me with
signficance before, it now holds signficance for medread.January third was once like any other,
that I would never have imagined.The words to theuntil the third of this year that is now past.
poem describe how one often feels about theFor it was on that dark Monday that you up and left
anniversary of a person's death.Before this year, forus,
as long as I recall,a reminder that few things will last.Before this year,
January was a good month for me.for as long as I recall,
Though winter brought snow, and a deep-seatedJanuary was a good month for me.
chill,Now the winter brings snow, and a deep-seated chill,
it was the beginning of the end you see.For Januaryit is the beginning of the end you see.For January
meant winter, and winter means spring,means winter, and winter means spring,
and spring is the beginning of life,but spring now seems so far away.
The death of the fall season, with its debris andBut every January third brings back memories of
decay,you,
marks the termination of struggle and strife.Januaryand the pain we all shared on that day.Roland
one was the day of beginnings,Cavanaugh is on staff at a large church serving as
hope filled the air all around,the Pastor of Congregational Care and Sr. Adults. He
Even as winter grew deeper, and the days grewhas self-published a book about his late father, "For
shorter,As Long As I Can.
the promise of newness did abound.January second