Taking Down the House
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
Today we bid the house farewell,
last of the last goodbyes.
Bare walls looked down on emptied shelves
as tears welled in our eyes.
Death and Grief Poems
Not one of us passes through life without being touched by death and grief. Initially, I had only a handful of poems dealing with that topic. I did not feel a specific category on death and grief was necessary for this website. Sadly, after the loss of a child (my youngest son) in 2018, that has changed. This new topic includes 40 poems on death and grief, written as part of my own grieving process. I hope this category helps other bereaved parents find and use them as part of their own healing from the loss of a child.
FINDING THE POEM YOU WANT: As you scroll through this section, simply read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines) to get a feel for the poem. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
(My poems about death are here for non-commercial purposes only. Please include full copyright information on every copy, emailing a request for permission before using. For internet use, a link back to this site is required. May peace and comfort be yours on this difficult path.)
Fingerprints of You
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
I’m writing with your pen today,
the one that filled your hand.
So many things I need to say,
so few I understand.
The Song of Grief
A little over six months into this journey, I find myself trying to negotiate a sort of uneasy truce with the heartache of losing my son. I am realizing grief will be with me for a lifetime, and I feel like I’m closing in on a vision of how to carry it. On my best days, I let it sing to me, sweet memories of his life and essence that draw me closer to him and to the Savior.
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Ines Alvarez Fdez on Unsplash
I think that as the time goes by
I feel your absence more.
The stark finality of it
grows harder to ignore.
The Tragedy Lives On
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Annelies Geneyn on Unsplash
But here is the thought that breaks me,
the grief that overtakes me.
In this world, you have left a hole,
unfillable by any soul,
the loss far more than mine to bear;
a wealth of worth was yours to share,
and minus you, a void exists…
your mind, your heart, your wisdom missed.
Reflections and Reminders
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
New Year’s Eve, and a wave of grief
carries me back in time,
back to the days when the air was sweet
and the fruit was on the vine.
The skies were blue; the skies were gray,
but what I loved was mine,
back in the days when the air was sweet
and the fruit was on the vine.
Here with Me
©2018 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
I live in a place where the sun shines bright,
and the mountains meet up with the sea;
but it hurts my heart to have you gone,
and I wish you were still here with me.
Without You
©2018 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Mariana B on Unsplash
I thought the holidays would be
a time of grief and misery,
a stark reminder of our loss,
a multiplying of the cost.
Reflections on Reunion
©2018 Susan Noyes Anderson
image by Anuj Yadav on Unsplash
I’m hungry for the sight of you;
the shades, both dark and light of you.
The way you held yourself, your smile
(gone missing for too long a while).