My brother was born in March
and died in March
My husband was born in April
and died in April

What is it about March and April
that marks the beginning,
and also the ending,
of some of my
favorite people?

My brother never liked
his birth month.
For many years
he’d had health problems.
“If I can get through March,”
he’d always say,
“I’ll be fine.”

This year
he almost made it.
The twenty-seventh was
Close to the end of the month.
But not close enough…