Tip your hat to mark the passing of 2009 --
even if the market now and then would lose its mind.

The Dow's finishing the year aloft by -- phew -- 20%;
Perhaps, at last, the doomsayers and naysayers are spent.

Obama moved to D.C., and the country kept him busy.
His health-care bill drove legislators right into a tizzy.

2009 exposed a pile of putrid Ponzi schemes,
Preying on unfortunates with get-rich-quickly dreams.

Periodic public panic? Thank the market, or swine flu,
Not to mention pink slips issued at Sprint (NYSE:S), Boeing (NYSE:BA), and Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO).

Bank execs repaid the TARP to keep their parachutes gold.
And like that mineral's rising price, their paychecks stayed bankrolled.

An irate ex went after David Letterman for cash,
But Tiger Woods lost even more in one unlucky crash.

For its gas-guzzling line of cars, GM had no defense.
So Uncle Sam gave $50 billion -- how does that make sense?

We gave out cash for clunkers, and for anything with wheels;
Low interest rates gave homebuyers a slew of housing steals.

The Yankees won the series; Avatar's a big success;
and hefty gains left Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Ford (NYSE:F) investors blessed.

Now, as we draw the curtain on the best of 2-K-9,
let's hope 2010 becomes the market's year to shine.

A look back at 2009:

Predictions for 2010: