Francine Lacasse Francine Lacasse 1961 – 1970

Denise Lacasse Denise Lacasse 1963 – 1993

Their smiles are easy to remember,
Though their voices are fading with the years,
Their faces I will cherish forever,
Thru pictures wet with my tears.

Love you both always, Mom

♥

On the first anniversary of the death of my second daughter, Denise Lacasse, I wrote this poem that was printed in November 1994 in the Foreign Affairs Newsletter, where we both worked.

My Daughter, My Best Friend

1963 – 1993

She was a seasoned cyclist you know,
For years it was her mode of transportation
To work, to grocery shop or to visit me
She cycled the Gatineaus
With the Passport office gang, and parts of Tanzania.
We zoomed along the highway on scooters
amongst some wild drivers in Puerto Plata.

I often silently worried, seeing her in my mind’s eye
Among the heavy downtown traffic,
Then quickly chased away those dreadful fears
Asking her sister to protect her from above.

That fateful day in November, she rushed out
Without the bike’s flashing light, I can only guess
And the reflector for the fender?
I found it in the basement
When I had to clean out her apartment.

She was a seasoned cyclist you know
My most cherished best friend
I can only think she was needed elsewhere
That it was time for her to go.

Ninakupenda sana my Denise
(I love you very much)