Poetry is an imaginative experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices to evoke an emotional response. Poetry is something different for everyone… just like grief. Many times it is difficult to put into words the way you feel when dealing with grief. One method of expression that some turn to is the written word.
Take, for example, this poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye, “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep”
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!)
The website Grieving Through Poetry has a list of poems about grief and includes some thoughts on ways to draw inspiration for writing a poem about a loved one.
- What your loved one meant to you
- What you miss about your loved one
- The things you learned from your loved one
- The way your loved one made the world a better place
- What you would like to say now to your loved one
- The things you enjoyed doing with your loved one
Kate's Club would love to see poems written for your loved ones!
Would you like to share your story? Please get in touch with Kate's Club! KC has free grief support with grief resources, grief counseling resources, grief training, and volunteer work in Atlanta and surrounding places in Georgia. Kate's Club is a growing nonprofit in Atlanta with grief specialists for kids and young adults going through bereavement. Our goal is to make a world where it is okay to grieve.