Family Relationship Poems

My heart is most pleased and blessed by family and family relationship poems, for they are closest to my heart. Some of these offerings are funny, moving, nostalgic, or religious. Others are more complex, refusing (as families themselves do) to fit neatly under any one characterization. My poems value the complexity of every family relationship and respect those who honor and uphold it. I hope you find something that resonates with you here. May the poems evoke feelings (delightful and occasionally less so) that we all associate with being part of a family.

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 work may be used free for non-commercial purposes only. Please request permission by email and include full copyright information, legibly printed, on every copy made. For internet use, a link back to the poem on this website is required.)

Love Is a Braid

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on July 10, 2023. Posted in Family Relationship Poems, Life Lessons Poems

©2023 Susan Noyes Anderson

LOVE IS LIKE A BRAID

image by Tamara Bellis on Unsplash

Stranded we are –
lone shafts of golden grain,
bowing and weaving,
laid low by wind and rain –
raised to bright sky.

What Is a Father?

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on June 18, 2023. Posted in Family Relationship Poems, Holiday Poems

©2023 Susan Noyes Anderson

fathers

image by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

What is a father meant to be?
A haven, a refuge, a sheltering tree,
a pathway to follow, a good name to share,
a standard to hold up and faithfully bear,
a teacher, a mentor, a gift from above
to guide us, to lead us, to lift us with love.
∞§∞

If this poem resonates with you, you might also enjoy Father’s Fan Club.

A Mother’s Love

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on May 22, 2023. Posted in Family Relationship Poems, Holiday Poems

©2023 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Karl Hedin from Unsplash

A mother’s love is bedrock and quicksilver.
It anchors her whole heart, then sets it free.
Forever bound, adorned in golden soul-strings,
she shimmers with eternal destiny.

defining magic

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on May 22, 2023. Posted in Family Relationship Poems

©2023 Susan Noyes Anderson

image by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash

hearts together, secrets shared
disagreements, gently aired
private jokes and public smirks
comfort with each other’s quirks

The Beach House

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on July 11, 2022. Posted in Death and Grief Poems, Family Relationship Poems

©2022 Susan Noyes Anderson

We came here every year
for years and years.
It was our jam.
We’re gathered here again
at last, but now
you’re on the lam.

The Star Maker

Written by Susan Noyes Anderson on April 10, 2022. Posted in Family Relationship Poems, Holiday Poems

I was a shooting star, my mother said,
a force as bright and bold as sun and sea.
Mom’s heart claimed me with joy that never fled––
her lightning bolt of untamed energy.