I saw the doc on Tuesday, he asked about my life

He wanted me to tell him if I’d added yet more strife

Cause my life is now pure chaos, so different from before

Back then I’d been the crazy, favorite aunt and nothing more

But the accident necessitated an updated life role

And for me to give up all of my neurotic self-control

I have to be a caretaker, though I’m neither good nor kind

But my once amazing sister now has a child’s mind

One minor accident had some major injuries

A dozen broken bones plus three critical brain bleeds

The doctors said there was no hope, her brain had swelled too much

She’d likely die in days or weeks, we should be prepared as such

But we offered up our prayers, though her chances were still low

But when they told us we should let her go we told them no

The doctors gave us hell for that, they told us we were cruel

Subjecting my poor sister to lifelong ridicule

But we had the deepest faith and clung to dwindling hope

And watched day after day her healing frontal lobe

And then one fateful night, nine full weeks after the crash

Her eyes finally focused, and she said, ‘my name is Ash’

A miracle to top them all, recovered from brain death

Once on full life support, now breathing her own breath

And yet though she survived, her mind was broken still

She woke up as a child, who’d lost both time and skill

My sister was the best, of the very best of souls

There really aren’t enough good words to offer her extols

So if it had been me, not her, in that damn bed

She’d have given everything to care for me instead

And so I made the right but the most difficult choice

To return to my hometown to care for her and her five boys

Her husband took more work, so we can make ends meet

As we navigate this new sad world of deep despair and grief

But raising now six kids that I definitely didn’t birth

Has somehow destroyed all of my once flourishing self worth

Now everything I do, seems inadequate and rough

I can’t ever shake the feeling that I’ll never be enough

I miss her so much more than I could ever say

My heart aches for her counsel each and every day

But I see her laughter now, her childlike jubilee

And can only be left happy that her mind has been set free

Yet I must keep on going., and I’ll do the best I can

To guide each loving boy to become a valiant man

But I hope there’ll come a day, when I see her Angel’s face

And she’ll look at me and smile, and say I did okay.