Wife Death Poem

Poem About Remembered Feelings And Choices

My wife recently died, and I had been searching for a poem to explain how I felt. No poem seemed to associate with the five senses, which is what I missed, but more with memories of which I had lots, so I realized that I would have to write one myself.
In addition, whilst my wife was ill, she bought some wall art blocks which the last sentence of my poem paraphrases - it seemed appropriate that she completed the ending for me.

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I lost my wife on my birthday this past January. She was in ICU for 3 months, and I didn't expect to lose her. We were married for 28 years and had been together for 32 years. I spent those...

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Reflections

Published by Family Friend Poems March 2015 with permission of the Author.

Remember all those happy days, those times she called our own
In all those well-loved places where you now grieve alone.
And those small endearing gestures, which you thought you knew so well,
Are fading, as time passes, with her words, her kiss, her smell.
But then there is that moment, that time within the day,
When you feel she is beside you in that old familiar way.
But as you turn to see her smile or receive a tender touch,
There's only a dark shadow of the one you loved so much.
And tears begin to fall in that hole of deep despair,
And memories overwhelm you - more than your heart can bear.
As you remember her gentle grace and her love so soft but strong,
Your heart will simply miss a beat as you miss her life, her song.
You want to rewind the clock and say how much you care;
You want to silence the talk that she's not there to share.
But you smile and chat amiably to family and friends
And hope they do not notice your world is at an end.
But she knows that you will carry on because she told you true
That if she had to choose again, she would still choose you.

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Has this poem touched you? Share your story!

by Brian Smith
4 years ago

I am coming up on the 6 month mark of losing my wife and have been looking for something that can describe how I am feeling. This poem hits it on the mark. Feelings of being lost, hopeless, trying to get from one day to the next. I'm missing her so and reading this poem brought me to tears as it hits the nail on the head.

by Steve
5 years ago

I have a similar story in so much that we were married 41 years before cancer took her away less than four months after diagnosis. That was 5 years ago tomorrow. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. Hang in there.

by Gary Boyce
6 years ago

This was so awesome. I cried all the way through as it was very easily my own words and thoughts as well. My wife of 37 years of marriage and 44 years of true love was stolen from me 3 months ago by hideous stage 4 lung into brain cancer. It was a total shock; nobody saw it coming. She was only 62 (I'm 64) and we had just retired. Now I walk in this empty haze/daze every day. I walk through our house (no longer a home) calling out to her - asking where she is, how do you feel, are you OK? To empty echoes of my own voice. WE were ALL we both had. Oh sure, we had 4 grown children and 2 grandchildren, but every day we looked for each other every morning on that bed. I never felt good till I would look across and see her sleeping in comfort while I got ready for work all those years. Now as we retired we could finally get up together. But NOW after we were robbed, I dread getting up! This life is empty and I await my return to her. She was all I ever needed as I was to her. Gone, all gone!

by Robert Toth
5 years ago

I also lost my wife, Claudia, on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 11:13 from cancer. Your message "hit home."

by Jon Ignatius
7 years ago

I lost my wife on my birthday this past January. She was in ICU for 3 months, and I didn't expect to lose her. We were married for 28 years and had been together for 32 years. I spent those final 3 months with her. I'm grateful she told me "I love you" a few hours before she hemorrhaged in the middle of the night. I had to make the heartbreaking decision to take her off life support within a few days.

The first two lines of the poem really got to me. It's been 9 months, and I wander aimlessly without her. There's really no more joy or happiness in life, only distractions to keep me occupied from one moment to the next. I go to places we called our own but fall apart. Some days when I feel strong, something, a scent, a melody or a bird, reminds me of her and I die all over again. Before she passed away, I entered her room and the scent of roses was overpowering. Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I want to believe that somehow she's telling me that she's okay.

by Gary Boyce
5 years ago

Yes, wandering aimlessly is exactly what is going on. The little things come up as you shop, drive, etc. I refuse to put any radio music on since she passed. I just can't, and believe me, I was dodging the Christmas songs all holiday in the stores. Many times putting my fingers in my ears as I looked like a silly old fool. The days are now just a blank blur of looking at sites like this-look at some news-some sports, but all my zest for life? Zapped- just going through the motions. Yes, distractions. That's basically what we encounter but for short periods and at any moment within the distraction comes a thought and there it goes again. We can only try as best we can. But try as I may, I reject this so-called "new normal- me." I will never accept the guy I see in the mirror. He is a lost soul, not the happy guy he was just 8 months ago before all was destroyed.

by Martin Sykes
5 years ago

My wife of 30 years, partner for 33 years, passed suddenly, age 58, 7 months ago. You expressed exactly how i feel...hopeless, lost...no point to carry on.

by William
7 years ago

Beautiful poem. The line where you describe her love as "so soft but strong" hits home for me. I lost my wife of 30 years to cancer four years ago. I sat with her during her final hours and can remember the feeling of waking up the next day without her by my side. It was a beautiful sunny morning, the birds were singing, and the world didn't end. But I've been in limbo ever since, just going through my daily routine. I can't even consider another relationship, so I just focus on work and hope that someday I can find a way to fill the void in my heart.

by Murray T Gostick
5 years ago

I lost my wife. It's been almost five years since she decided to leave this world in her own way. She was a great mother and a wife. We married young. I have three great kids and grandkids, but I can honestly say I try so hard to keep busy, but it doesn't work. I miss you, Karen.

by Arun S. Raj, BANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA
8 years ago

So touching. Nicely worded. Simple and real feelings expressed. Kudos.