A roller-coaster kind of week

I don't have the right word to describe the week I've had, marvelous and dreadful by turns. I got to color purple puppies with my adorable granddaughter and hear her say her socks are "all cattywampus" (hurrah!), but I also had to spend two hours in a meeting discussing an important issue on which my feedback is destined to have no discernible impact (boo!). I enjoyed seeing my daughter show off her teaching skills (yay!) but also grieved with valued colleagues who learned this week that their positions are being cut (sob!). There simply isn't an emoticon sufficient for the current situation.

But a little verse can't make it worse.

The roller-coaster rises high
then makes me catch my breath
by swooping toward the earth as if
straight toward the doors of death--

but then (relief!) we rise again
to burst earth's surly bonds
and touch the sky--what's that? Oh my!
We're headed for the ground!

I close my eyes and scream and cry
and laugh and grin--and then
the end is near! No more to fear!
(Who wants to try again?)