Voices of the Grieving Heart

When Mike Bernhardt's wife died, he turned to writing poetry as a tool of healing. He later solicited the poetry of other people whose loved ones had died, receiving hundreds of submissions from around the world. The result was Voices of the Grieving Heart, first published in 1994. More than just an anthology, it is a companion on the darkest road many of us will ever have to travel: grieving the death of someone we loved.

This new, expanded edition contains over 160 selected poems, essays, and images by 83 contributors who share their journeys through loss, grief, and transformation, including:

"Here are voices that tell us not what to feel, but how they feel, speaking from the deep places touched by grief and love. Anyone who has lost a loved one will benefit from the honest, courageous, and generous sharing found in these pages."

Elizabeth Bremer, MA, LMFT and bereaved spouse

"This beautiful book speaks directly to the heart with moving and powerful poetry from people who generously share their journeys of love, loss, healing, and hope. If you are grieving the loss of someone you love, it will help to validate your experience and feelings. With a section devoted to grieving in the time of pandemic, and an invitation to experience the healing power of writing through your own grief, it is as personal as it is universal."

Debbie Augenthaler, LMHC, NCC, author of You Are Not Alone

"Those in mourning will recognize themselves in the pages; it will validate and normalize the surreal expedition of loss that we are all inevitably forced to take. What makes The Voices of the Grieving Heart a classic is the fact that the poems are raw, powerful, and authentic, bound together by the generous spirit of the editor, and offered to us with compassion and hope. Professional helpers and poetry therapists, chaplains, hospice workers, and facilitators of bereavement groups will find this volume to be a treasure trove that can be shared with individuals and groups."

Sherry Reiter, PhD, former president, National Association for Poetry Therapy