The Ballad of Jill Nelke
It gives us a thrill
To celebrate with Jill
This special day
As Jill far and away
Exemplifies a life of unselfish giving
A life of elegant living.
Whether being there for Rick
When he was in a fix.
Or watching this diminutive mother proceed
In a massive U-Haul truck down the freeway at breakneck speed
To extract her daughter from harm’s way
With a smile—she’s always “got a sunny day”.
Whether it’s baking a buttermilk pecan pie
Or putting together a raised bed garden on the fly.
She demonstrates such competence
And is even a Sherman Gardens docent
Or by using her sunny disposition
To garner an elected political position
And she uses her intellectual wealth
In the struggle for women’s health
And despite Rick’s FOMO
She’s always amazingly in the know
And she’s a dedicated mother bear
And for her children and family is always there.
Einstein said we should celebrate
Those who from the self can liberate
Which is why on this special day
In a very special way
We recognized Jill as a cut above
And share with her our warmth and love.
Howard P. Charman, MD 8-2-2021