A.g. Synclair Memorial Fund

Many of you know Mark DeRoin as the widely published poet and editor of The Montucky Review, A.g. Synclair.   Early in the morning on April 1, 2016 Mark succumbed to complications resulting from the cancer with which he was diagnosed just a few short weeks ago.

For several years Mark and I were inseparable partners in crime, and it is with indescribable heartache that I create this page for him, in an effort to assist his elderly mother in paying his medical bills and memorial expenses.

In mid-February, Mark was admitted to the Emergency Room with severe abdominal pain, and shortly thereafter, diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer had already metastasized to other organs, and the prognosis his oncology team provided was extremely poor.   Mark received in-hospital hospice care before his passing,  as he sadly was not strong enough to begin chemotherapy, which was his only treatment option.

Mark was fortunate enough to have health insurance coverage,  although there remains a stack of expensive medical bills, in addition to future memorial costs. He had been unable to work in the weeks prior, and his 79 year old mother Terry is struggling to pay these unanticipated expenses, despite what we have all been able to contribute.

It is my hope that out of the goodness of the hearts of our friends and family, we will be able to raise enough through donations to significantly defray these expenses. Donations will be sincerely appreciated, along with your well-wishes and prayers for Mark's family during this time of need.

 


The Calling by Ag Synclair

all of this
is a simple
call and response 
a nod
to some church
in our deepest south 
or, perhaps
to chuck berry
either way, imagine

opening your mouth
and there is no sound
imagine the quiet bones 
of snow, scattered
wall to wall in that church

                        wall to wall in that church

our own antiphony
still unfinished