When you’re grieving, both reading and writing can help as a creative tool and a way of expressing and exploring emotions.
Reading poetry by others who have experienced similar feelings might help you to feel less isolated and normalise your emotions. Poetry can also bring different feelings to different people; there may be a poem that really relates to you and how you feel right now, but this poem may differ to others and feelings that they have. Please know that it’s okay if a poem makes you feel different to other people. Your grief is unique to you.
Writing poetry can help you put feelings into words and support you in exploring different feelings in your grief. Remember you’re not being assessed on what you write, and there is no right or wrong way to write poetry. It's about trying it to see if you feel it may help you in your grief.
Our Youth Team have written some poems of their own, which you can find here.
Below are some authors and links that you may find interesting. They might be useful to look at to help you get started if you want to write your own...
“LOVE CAME FIRST… You don’t move on after loss, but you must move with. You must shake hands with grief, welcome her in, for she lives with you now. Pull her a chair at the table and offer her comfort. She is not the monster you first thought her to be. She is love. And she will walk with you now, stay with you now, peacefully. If you let her. And on the days when your anger is high, remember why she came, remember who she represents. Remember. Grief came to you my friend because love came first. Love came first.”
https://www.instagram.com/donnaashworthwords/?hl=en
“When we grieve, we move from loving in presence to loving in separation. Nothing is more difficult in grieving. Nothing is more important if we are to thrive again in lives profoundly changed by loss. In this book I show how lasting love in absence is both possible and desirable.”
“Sara shares her work with others to let them know that they are not alone in their love or grief. While grief and loss are complex topics, she utilizes a minimalist poetry style to capture these heavy experiences in a direct, digestible way. These poems are a balm for both new grievers and those farther along in the journey.”
https://www.sararianbooks.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sara_rian_books/?hl=en
“Hello Grief : I’ll be right with you. HELLO GRIEF is balm for the soul— offering advice, inspiration, and solace for everyone who has lost something or someone special.”
https://www.alessandraolanow.com/
https://www.instagram.com/aolanow/?hl=en
“May we learn from one another here. May we share with vulnerability and courage the heartwarming and heartbreaking elements of what makes us human. May we have hands ready to reach out for one another and eyes full of empathy.”
https://substack.com/@liznewman
https://www.instagram.com/liz_newman_writer_/?hl=en
“Journaling and introspection has always been at the forefront of her being--focusing on the importance of feeling our 'big feelings'. She writes the raw, the uncomfortable, the overlooked; conveying that at the root of all things, is deep love.”
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Grief can sometimes feel difficult to talk about, making it hard to make sense of your feelings. Poetry can offer a way to explore those emotions.
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Bereavement support tips for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Tap the live chat button or scroll down to find ways to contact Winston's Wish for further support.
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Our bereavement experts are available to speak to for immediate support on weekdays from 8am to 8pm.
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