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.)

A Million Words

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on October 1, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

A million words would
never bring you back.
I know, for I have said
them all and more.
I call you in my mind,
greet you in dreams,
pen you in poems that leak
from every pore.

They march out the front door,
sneak out the back one,
slip from windows on
bedsheets, deftly tied.
I do not slide the bolts
nor lock the shutters,
wary of stanzas
trapping me inside.

Still, I won’t send words
packing. They are mine.
Imperfect words, and yet
I hold them dear.
Ethereal as stars, they
have not raised you,
just hooked me on their power
to draw you near.

If this poem resonates with you, you may enjoy reading The Summons.

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The Summons

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on September 20, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Kevin Cole

I am the one who knows
you are not present.
And yet, I come to stand
beside your grave.
Hungry for any service
I might render,
hoping to cross a bridge
I cannot pave.

My Heart Is a Google Drive

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on September 15, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

My heart is like a google drive. Streamed memories of you
float through the cloud in my less-sunny mind,
an often-viewed assortment of mixed ages and all stages,
good moods and lengthy broods, a motley find.

Love, Grief, and Grace

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on August 16, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

She’d waited two years for grief to end.
It wasn’t easy, but she was game.
“Two years should do it,” remarked a friend,
but Anne was still going round the bend
with nothing improving and much the same.

Love Remains

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on August 3, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Sometimes, I think of your body,
sunk deep in the earth.
I look at your grave and imagine
the wood crate below.
I try not to wonder and yet
I cannot help but wonder
how much flesh is left, and
how long it will take that to go.

Two Years and Counting (the cost)

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on July 26, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

image by Shifaaz Shamoon on Unsplash

The world has not gone dark,
and soft stars sparkle in the sky
on summer nights.
The dawn still lights.

Son-light

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on July 25, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

image by Morteza Farkhondepour on Unsplash

I wear your absence like a hat, too tightly,
its brim subduing light relentlessly.
Son-light, grown brighter from celestial moorings,
and yet at times so difficult to see.

a brighter day

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on June 23, 2020. Posted in Death and Grief Poems

come and sit
beneath my blanket
as you did when
we shared space

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