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.)
In life, it was mine to give you care,
a role I would never begrudge at all…
from blissful days of downy hair,
(and me ever grateful that I was there)
through years that bore fruit in a wailing wall.
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.
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.
image by Ralf Skirr on UnsplashA breeze as gentle as can be
rises above the northern sea,
slips beyond a starry sky,
brushes him with a wishful sigh.
It ruffles softly through his hair,
dusts lilting bits of sweetness there,
each dear, familiar melody
awash in love and memory.
I’m in a battle for myself,
and I’m afraid to lose.
Life used to feel more solid,
like I had a right to choose
This is the why poem,
The why-did-you-die poem,
The why-did-you-have-to-be-
stuck-in-the-eye poem,
image by Toa Heftiba on UnsplashYou died a man, yet in my heart,
you were my baby from the start…
my little blond-haired, blue-eyed boy…
solemn of thought, alive with joy.
My heart searches relentlessly
to find you in each day.
I close my eyes and reach for you
in spirit, far away.