Poems About the Loss of a Mother
No one needs to explain to you that losing your mother is a deeply personal and heart-wrenching experience. Words often fail to express the complex emotions and grief that follow such a loss. Yet, poetry has the power to gift words to the griever that are often stolen by their loss. Line by line, they transport grievers through to the heart of their pain, capturing the essence of their raw emotions, and providing a needed solace to those as they struggle to come to terms with their loss.
Below is a list of poems that address the loss of a mother. Each one offers a unique perspective and a different way of understanding the depth and complexity of this experience. Whether you have recently lost your mother, or are supporting someone who has, we hope that these poems bring comfort and healing during this difficult time.
“My Mother Kept A Garden,” by Anon
My Mother kept a garden.
A garden of the heart;
She planted all the good things,
That gave my life its start.
She turned me to the sunshine,
And encouraged me to dream:
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rains came,
She protected me enough;
But not too much, she knew I'd need
To stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example,
Always taught me right from wrong;
Markers for my pathway
To last my whole life long.
I am my Mother's garden,
I am her legacy.
And I hope today she feels the love,
Reflected back from me.
“A Sonnet for My Incomparable Mother,” by Joanna Fuchs
I often contemplate my childhood, Mom.
I am a mother now, and so I know.
Hard work is mixed together with the fun;
You learned that when you raised me long ago.
I think of all the things you gave to me:
Sacrifice, devotion, love and tears,
Your heart, your mind, your energy and soul–
All these you spent on me throughout the years.
You loved me with a never-failing love
You gave me strength and sweet security,
And then you did the hardest thing of all:
You let me separate and set me free.
Every day, I try my best to be
A mother like the mom you were to me.
“Goodbye Mom,” by Aneela Ahmed
Seeing you draped in white
My heart breaks, hope out of sight.
Mom you left too soon
I hadn't loved you enough.
Our relationship was never ideal
Our journey very tough.
My love for you hasn't died
So I will not entomb its heart.
I'll let it manifest in things
Let this be a new start.
As you leave today
Let me cry, let me say
My mom was my hero.
Leading me to right
Forgiving and loving
A star so bright.
So I lose today
My support, my light.
My dear Mom.
Making my life bright.
Losing my mom, I lost myself today
In darkness so deep
I try to find light, just a ray
Just enough to hold on
Hold on to life.
The final goodbye said
They bury her - before my eyes.
“Away,” by James Whitcomb Riley
I cannot say and I will not say
That she is dead, she is just away.
With a cheery smile and a wave of hand
She has wandered into an unknown land;
And left us dreaming how very fair
Its needs must be, since she lingers there.
And you-oh you, who the wildest yearn
From the old-time step and the glad return-
Think of her faring on, as dear
In the love of there, as the love of here
Think of her still the same way, I say;
She is not dead, she is just away.
"My Mother, My Friend," by J. Allen Shaw
Mom, I wasn’t prepared for you to pass so soon,
There was so much more I had hoped we’d do.
I wanted to thank you for loving me again and again,
From the day I was born, I always knew my best friend.
No matter how many times I said, “You don’t know what it’s like.”
You knew what I needed to hear and would always be right.
Now you’re gone, I wish I had listened more and talked less,
I would have handled things better, with much less stress.
"If Roses Grow in Heaven," By Dolores M. Garcia
If roses grow in heaven,
Lord please pick a bunch for me,
Place them in my Mother’s arms
and tell her they’re from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for awhile.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it every day,
but there’s an ache within my heart
that will never go away.
“The Broken Chain,” by Bob Shirilla
We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name,
In life we loved you dearly; in death we do the same
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you, the day God called you home
You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide,
And though we cannot see you, you are always at our side
Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same,
But as God call us one by one, the chain will link again.
“Her Journey’s Just Begun," by Ellen Brenneman
Don’t think of her as gone away
her journey’s just begun
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of her as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days or years.
Think how she must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of her as living
in the hearts of those she touched
for nothing loved is ever lost
and she was loved so much.
"Letting Go," by Judith Bulock Morse
The Angels gathered near your side
So very close to you
For they knew the pain and suffering
That you were going through.
I thought about so many things
as I held tightly to your hand
Oh, how I wished that you were strong
And happy once again.
But your eyes were looking homeward
To that place beyond the sky
Where Jesus held His outstretched arms
It was time to say good-bye.
I struggled with my selfish thoughts
For I wanted you to stay
So we could walk and talk again
Like we did…just yesterday.
But Jesus knew the answer
And I knew He loved you so
So I gave you life’s greatest gift
The gift of letting go.