
If Earth Were Sky and Sky Above: A Poem About Losing a Child to Suicide
ABOUT THIS POEM: If Earth Were Sky and Sky Above: A Poem About Losing a Child to Suicide is a poem I wrote on my son’s seventh memorial date. I grow pensive as I near my son’s memorial date each year. For this poem, I thought deeply about how beautiful the world can be, and I reflected on how sad that my son couldn’t stay to see earth in all its glory.
The seasons were changing, May Cottonwood trees were blowing their billowy puffs, the skies were bright blue, and the sun shone down to erase any lingering shadows of winter. All this beauty and yet still I wanted to be where my son was. I will never understand why he couldn’t stay.
“If Earth Were Sky and Sky Above” expresses the deep pain and longing experienced after losing a child to suicide. I chose metaphors about the earth, sky, moon, and stars to convey grief and the yearning for connection. The poem illustrates the deep sorrow of losing a child to suicide. This poem can be found in the collection, Find Hope Here: Featuring Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide.
Suicide Changes Everything
Eleven years ago, I lost my 20-year-old son, my only child, to suicide. Everything in my life changed when I lost Dylan to suicide. Suicide changes everything.
About the Author
I am Beth Brown, Dylan’s Mom. I write that I might find healing along the way. Writing this blog, poems, songs, and books (Bury My Heart: Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide) brings perspective and healing to a grief that will always linger.
I also write long-form poems (Living in the Glare of My Son’s Suicide). I’ve written extensively about Grief, Hope, and Healing in my blog, My Forever Son. That we all might find peace.

A Poem About Losing a Child to Suicide: If Earth Were Sky (And Sky Above)
IF EARTH WERE SKY (AND SKY ABOVE)
If earth were sky and sky above,
Then heart could hold this ache of love,
Suspended, like rain, in clouds wanting to fall,
But bound to sun’s joy because heart touches all.
I fall ‘ere so slowly most cannot yet tell,
My pain lives so deep and my heart goes through hell.
I crawl more than walk through days such as these,
Heavy with sorrow, wanting only ache relieved.
And yet truly what is can’t be undone,
I’ve lost my life in the loss of my son.
For seven years counting this marking of time,
Having lost in him life, both his then and mine.
I stay hollow inside though try as I might,
Come to from the damage of my now soiled life.
I’d rather be still with my son by my side,
My heart filled with love and my joy still alive.
©Beth Brown 2021
Find Hope Here: Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide
Related Posts
Download 3 Free Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide
A Book of Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide: Bury My Heart
Bury My Heart: Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide
A Deep Sorrow:
Bury My Heart–Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide is a poignant collection of poems that dives deep into the profound sorrow experienced by parents who have lost a child to suicide. Through heartfelt words and raw emotions, the poet explores the overwhelming pain and grief that comes with such a devastating loss.
Earth, Sky, Moon, Stars:
In this section, the poet draws inspiration from nature to express the vast emptiness and longing felt after the loss of a child. The poems beautifully capture the elements of the earth, sky, moon, and stars, serving as a metaphor for the vastness of grief and the yearning for connection with the departed child.
Why?:
“Why?” delves into the complex and unanswerable question of why a child would choose to take their own life. These poems reflect the turmoil and confusion that parents face as they grapple with the loss and seek some semblance of understanding in the face of such tragedy.
In Losing You, I Lost Me Too:
This collection explores the profound impact of losing a child to suicide on the parents’ own sense of identity and existence. These poems reflect on the profound changes that occur within the parents, as they navigate through feelings of guilt, despair, and the struggle to find a new sense of self.
That My Love Travel with You Always:
This collection of poems encapsulates the enduring love and connection that the parents feel for their departed child. The poems in this section express the desire for their love and memories to transcend beyond the realms of grief and accompany their child’s spirit forever.
With Bury My Heart: Poems About Losing a Child to Suicide, readers are invited to embark on an emotional journey through the depths of grief, finding solace and a shared experience in the poet’s heartfelt words.
Where Are You in Your Grief, Hope, and Healing?
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