Grief Poetry

The women in Allison Adair’s debut collection—luminous and electric from the first line to the last—live in places that have been excavated for gold and precious ores. They understand the nature of being hollowed out, of being “the planet’s stone / core as it tries to carve out one secret place and fails.” And so, as these poems take us from the midst of the Civil War to our current era, they chart fairy tales that are at once unsettling and painfully familiar, never forgetting that cruelty compels us to search for tenderness.

Today Thomas Gray is remembered almost solely for this melancholy meditation on the inevitability of death and the insignificance of fame. The poem was originally thought to have been inspired by the death of Gray's close friend, Richard West, but modern critics think this to be unlikely. Retiring by nature, Gray did not want the elegy to be published, but his hand was forced by an unscrupulous editor who planned to publish the poem without permission. The polished elegance of the versification has ensured that the poem has retained its appeal over the centuries.

Clara Jean Beaman Walker was the third of seven children born to Cora and Clarence Beaman in Knoxville, TN, in 1910. Considered to be “Little Mother” by her siblings, she always gave her best to her birth family and to the family she created with her husband, John Albert Walker. Three sons came from this union: Johnny, Clarence, and Henry. A teacher at heart, Jean saw each child before her and helped them navigate home economics, English, and realizing their potential.

Unlike his more famous fellow war poets, Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon survived the First World War. In this collection of 64 poems, first published in 1920, Sassoon portrays the dehumanizing horror of modern warfare with its staggering death toll, while also satirizing the jingoistic fervour of politicians and armchair strategists.

What if the dreaded world of Alzheimer's was also a world of emotional discovery? Eugenia Zukerman's poetry and simple prose, both heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational, ushers the listener into her world as she unflinchingly examines familial loyalties, moments from her past and present, and the need to face an uncertain future due to the diagnosis of a condition that she truly hopes "will remain unnamed."

Holes in Your Umbrella is a raw, intimate debut poetry collection that explores what it means to live with mental illness, navigate love’s jagged edges, and keep walking through storms with nothing but hope and a half-broken umbrella. Told in fragments, whispers, and sharp truths, these poems trace the outline of survival—through heartbreak, breakdowns, and moments of unexpected grace. This is a book for anyone who’s ever felt too much, carried too quietly, or wondered if they were the only one.

Divided into five chapters, this volume is a journey through the life cycle of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. It is a celebration of love in all its forms.

By turns moving, playful and wise, the poems gathered in Dearly are about absences and endings, ageing and retrospection, but also about gifts and renewals. They explore bodies and minds in transition, as well as the everyday objects and rituals that embed us in the present. Werewolves, sirens and dreams make their appearance, as do various forms of animal life and fragments of our damaged environment.

Holocaust Island was the inaugural winner of the David Unaipon Award in 1989. Graeme Dixon's poems address contemporary and controversial issues – from Black deaths in custody to the struggles of single mothers – and are as relevant today as when his book was first published. This dynamic collection is threaded with poems of spirited humour and sharp satire. Dixon's powerful voice rings out loud and clear.

The Twilight Zone Haiku explores the essence of Rod Serling’s iconic, uncanny 1960s television show through haiku, giving us dazzling, spot-on snapshots of each episode. In seventeen syllables, Boykin captures the show's main objective: to deliver a keen jolt of existential awareness.

"The Siege of Corinth" is a tragic narrative poem first published in 1816. It was inspired by the Ottoman siege of the Venetian-held Acrocorinth in 1715.

This is the worst book of poetry ever written.

Saris and a Single Malt is a moving collection of poems written by a daughter for and about her mother. The audiobook spans the time from when the poet receives a phone call in New York City that her mother is in a hospital in New Delhi to the time she carries out her mother's last rites. The poems chronicle the author's physical and emotional journey as she flies to India, tries to fight the inevitable, and succumbs to the grief of living in a motherless world.

From the bestselling author of Pillow Thoughts and Watering the Soul comes another deeply honest and moving collection of poetry and prose that explores the strength and resilience we embody in the face of hardship and change. Presented in six captivating sections—Reflecting, Repairing, Change, Awakening, Emerging, and Rebirth—Time Will Tell tells the story of a curious, lost soul who crashed down to Earth on the search for purpose.

Drum-Taps is a collection of poetry written by Walt Whitman during the American Civil War and first published in 1865. Drum-Taps contains poems that bear witness to the violence of war.

Linda Gregerson’s long-awaited new collection is a tour de force, a compendium of lives touched by the radical fragility of the planet and, ultimately, the endless astonishment and paradox of being human within the larger ecosystem, “in a world where every breath I take is luck.”

In this anthology of poetry, combining her bestselling collections She Must Be Mad and Validate Me, and with 70 new poems and handwritten annotations, she paints a complex picture of the formative experiences of womanhood and living with Bipolar II disorder.

A collection of poems that delves into the depths of human emotion, blending the serenity of the ocean with the complexity of the soul. Each poem is a wave, carrying listeners through themes of love, loss, hope, and self-discovery. With evocative imagery and lyrical grace, this anthology invites you to explore the intimate whispers that lie within the currents of our hearts. Perfect for anyone seeking solace and inspiration in the rhythm of words.

Have you ever felt lost, confused, or like you couldn’t trust yourself to make a good decision? If the answer is no, put this book down before it spontaneously combusts in your hands and move on (you are too pure). If the answer is yes, look no further and invest now. Why, you ask? Because listening to this poetry will connect you to those lost parts of yourself you think no one else sees. The parts that you wonder if they are healed or not. Don’t you want to know? Invest in Poems from a Lost Soul to find out.

A parent's worst nightmare is to receive the news that their child is gone. The grief that follows is overwhelming. Through her love of poetry, Wanda Weathersby shares her journey of grief after the death of her precious son Calvin. Her journey shows the power of celebrating the memories and the importance of a strong support system to help through these difficult times. If you have lost a child or a loved one, experience the healing and love that God poured out for this mom during these difficult times and be inspired to find your own path of healing with him.