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.)

spiritual connection after death

Love Remains

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on . 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.

losing a child

Son-light

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on . Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson
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.

death of a loved one

Empty Spaces

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on . Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

Every day a hundred ways to know you are gone.
Sometimes, I can’t help but wish that I could move on.
You left me with so many spaces, so many empty places,
left me with so many spaces, too many empty places.

grief and faith

Come, Warm Your Hands

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on . Posted in Death and Grief Poems

©2020 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Rebecca Peterson on Unplash

A question in grief group last week gave me pause,
“Are you struggling more now, with Covid the cause?”
Answers varied, and yet most replies shared a thread:
We were already maxed-out on grieving our dead.
Losing children had broken us, brought us so low
that in truth, there was not that much further to go.

All material ©copyright of Susan Noyes Anderson

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