A Slice of Joy
©2019 Susan Noyes Anderson
Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash
I stood beside your grave one day,
not too long ago.
It was an extra visit, for
my heart was feeling low.
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.)
Waldemar Brandt on UnsplashI stood beside your grave one day,
not too long ago.
It was an extra visit, for
my heart was feeling low.
Image by Joshua Earle on UnsplashI dreamed that I could carry you,
but now I realize
my pocket had a hole in it,
just about your size.

To grieve is a life lesson,
long in the learning.
The days carry forward;
the wheels keep on turning.
And I’ve found an instinct for
managing sorrow.
I stay in the moment,
no thought for tomorrow.
image by Tyler Nix on UnsplashYou spoke to me inside a song
and brought my soul to peace.
Soft words I knew, whispered by you,
provided sweet release.
I saw this brave little tree today,
pushing her way through a stump of wood.
She lifted my heart in such a way
that a rush of grief was held at bay,
yielded to truth and a greater good.

How unexpected life can be.
Your childhood years passed happily,
our family sunlit from the start
by you, its youngest work of art.
image by Xavier Mouton on UnsplashI miss you more
than words can say.
In every moment,
every day,
your absence leaves
an empty space
that nothing ever
will replace.
image by Ricardo AlfaroGrief is a journey.
Where does it end?