With much trepidation I'm here to review

The noteworthy language of twenty-two-two.

"Inflation," "supply chain" and "war in Ukraine"

Incited our worries and caused us great strain.

We learned about "Kherson" and "Donbas" and "Kyiv";

Ukrainians' courage was hard to believe.

What Putin described as a quick "operation"

Was bravely repelled by a resolute nation.

With "javelins," "manpads" and "TB2 drones,"

Zelenskyy and NATO displayed strong backbones.

Our loftiest court, with its dark "shadow docket,"

Led some folks to cheer and others to mock it.

Its overturning of "Roe v. Wade"

Produced much "division" and angry tirades.

The "midterm elections" brought passion and fire

From all who were "MAGA," "election deniers."

They challenged the "woke" and all "virtue signaling."

"More power to parents!" their voices were jingling.

But when it was over, the surging "Red Wave"

Dissolved to a trickle, and Democrats gave

A sigh of relief — Was "democracy saved"?

More perils abounded from drought and "mpox,"

While "doomers" and "preppers" sought out a safe box.

As carbon dioxide increased global warming,

Intensified weather provided a warning.

We suffered through twisters and "Ian," "Fiona,"

And still we weren't done with the virus corona.

Malicious "subvariants," "the flu," "RSV,"

A "triple pandemic" brought pleas from Fauci.

As "TikTok" and "Twitter" became a train wreck,

Our Congress examined the sway of "Big Tech."

Unfazed by this mayhem we gladly indulged

In buzzwords and jargon, and here it's divulged:

"Deplatform" and "kiddos," "hard pass" and "full stop."

We found our "North Star," while "plant-based" did pop.

While "working from home" or amid office bustle,

We bought up those "I-bonds," began a "side hustle."

As "influencers" with "secret sauces,"

"Aspiring" one day to "be our own bosses."

Till then, we're contented with comfortably sitting,

Enjoying the pleasure of mere "quiet quitting."

Across the Atlantic, we all mourned the death

Of Britain's beloved Elizabeth.

We learned some new lingo: "Queen Consort," "King Charles,"

And briefly ignored the royals' sharp quarrels.

We "gaslighted" lovers, embraced "goblin mode."

Our culture of "grievance" seemed not to erode.

And few will forget the visceral snap

We all felt on viewing that rash "Oscar slap."

Despite the disorder, we all were enthralled

With "podcasts," "livestreaming" and, yes, "pickleball."

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, California, 90254.

Photo credit: JillWellington at Pixabay