Grief and Love are One

Maggie Bowyer
1 min readSep 15, 2022

Last week I said I was writing happy poetry, and this week I am throwing heartbreak in your face.

This poem is about the loss of many family members of mine, particularly my baby brother and sister. I wrote it when I was in the throes of grief and I kept seeing white feathers — signs of angels.

My next collection is hot and heavy and about love… but it is also about the deep grief that can accompany love. The loss and how it feels when you love someone. This book is two opposite ends of the emotional spectrum that often accompany one another.

Huge thank you to Death’s Dormant Daughter for seeing the love in this piece.

Guardian

White feather, tucked
Behind her ear;
White feather, flutter
By me on the street.
White feather, do you ever
Wonder about the weather
Or whether it’s raining
Somewhere above the clouds?
White feather, do you ever
Whisper well-wishes
From my mother
When I’m under the weather?
White feather, do you ever
Whistle to my sister
Just to make her giggle
While she waits?
White feather, do you ever
Wander the wisteria
With my little brothers?
White feather, wafting
By my window;
White feather, will you
Remain even when I am a willow?

Today’s poem is from my upcoming collection UNGODLY. If you enjoy my poetry, please consider shopping any of my poetry collections or other merchandise!

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Maggie Bowyer

Freelance writer. UNGODLY, WHEN I BLEED: POEMS ABOUT ENDOMETRIOSIS and more