Suicide Poems for Those Left Behind

When someone we love takes their own life, the pain and confusion left behind can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to find the right words to express our grief and loss. Poetry has long been used as a form of catharsis and healing in times of pain, and there are many powerful poems that speak to the experience of losing someone to suicide. These poems can offer solace, understanding, and a way to process complex emotions.

Poems of Loss and Grief

"The Void" by Emily Dickinson
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading – treading – till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through –

"Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye
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 glints on snow.

Poems of Understanding and Hope

"When Great Trees Fall" by Maya Angelou
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

"Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson
Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.

Poems of Remembrance and Love

"Remember" by Christina Rossetti
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

"Epitaph on a Friend" by Robert Burns
An honest man here lies at rest,
As e'er God with His image blest:
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of age, and guide of youth:

Suicide poems for those left behind can provide comfort and healing in the midst of great loss. They can help us make sense of the senseless and find a way to honor the memory of those we have lost. Whether we turn to classic poets like Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou or discover new voices speaking to our pain, poetry can be a powerful tool for healing in times of grief.