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 over 90 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.)
Small white crosses dot green grasses,
children who will play no more.
Bright-eyed boys and lively lasses,
robbed of all life held in store.
I chart my course in life with words
that rise up like the northern star
and lead me, yet my words fall short
of lifting me to where you are.
I know it’s true, of course – quite real;
yet somehow, I can’t help but feel
that nothing else is real if you are gone.
I’m well aware that you’re not here,
a little too aware, I fear;
and yet, neither are you quite gone,
despite the truth that you’ve passed on.
They didn’t dig you up, only my feelings,
stilled ones that slept with you under the ground.
Deep wounds that went unnoticed by their absence,
well-buried until anguish lost was found.
image by Nathan DumlaoTime heals all wounds, so they say,
but do these words hold true?
If yes, such healing plays me false, son,
when it comes to you.
image by Hannah GraceI like to think
he’s with us still,
a photo on the window sill,
a memory of days gone by,
a shadow in his sister’s eye.
Photo by Esaias Tan on Unsplash
Soon or late, life teaches lessons
few would choose to learn.
Ours is, at best, a rocky path
with many a twist and turn.