There’s an old saying that goes, “A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.”
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Poems for Grandma’s Birthday or Celebration
- Mother’s Day Poems for Grandma
- Rest In Peace (RIP) or End-of-Life Poems for Grandma
- Poems to Remember Your Grandma’s Life After She Died
So many of us have special relationships with our grandmothers, from childhood into adulthood. It’s always nice to look for different ways to thank them or honor them for the role they’ve played in your life. Here, we’ve compiled some of our favorite poems in honor of grandmothers.
Poems for Grandma’s Birthday or Celebration
On someone’s birthday, we always want to find a special way to wish them well. You don’t just have to sign your name to a card and leave it at that. Take a moment to write down a happy birthday poem for your grandma. Not a poet? Use a few lines from these excellent poems.
1. “Grandmas” by Ruth Fainlight
Sometimes it can be frustrating for parents to see the adoration between grandparent and grandchild. This poem reassures grandmothers that it’s okay for them to dote on their grandchildren.
2. “Our Grandma Kissed a Pumpkin” by Darren Sardelli
This sweet little poem is reminiscent of works by poets like Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky. It harkens back to fun family memories of Halloweens gone by.
3. “Grandma” by Edgar Albert Guest
This lovely poem would be perfect to read on a grandmother’s 72nd birthday. It celebrates a woman who is eternally elegant and somehow more youthful than her own grandchildren:
“May I come from out the gloom
Of my troubles with the bloom
Of a heart that's ever youthful still in view,
With a dash of color gay
To relieve the somber gray,
May I be as young as you at seventy-two.”
4. “Gardening with Grandma” by Cynthia Kurtz
This would be the perfect poem to share if you and your grandmother loved gardening together. It’s a reminder of the wisdom she imparted to you while elbows-deep in soil.
5. “Grandma” by Lauren Blood
This birthday poem for a grandmother reminds her of all she has to look forward to:
“If it not be promise me not to sway
Away from the wonder of another year here”
6. “Time Works Differently For Grandmothers” by Donall Dempsey
This birthday poem from the perspective of a grandmother shares how strange it is when your child has children of their own.
Mother’s Day Poems for Grandma
Mother’s Day isn’t just for honoring mothers. You can honor your whole matrilineal line. Whether you call her nona, gammy, or gram, grandmothers are often like extra parents and deserve their own recognition. Here are some Mother’s Day poems in honor of grandmothers.
7. “Leaving Tulsa” by Jennifer Elsie Foerster
This poem honors a grandmother through all the phases of her life. It makes a great jumping-off point to share everything your own grandmother has taught you over the years.
8. “Welcome Home Grandma” by Justice JiteEda
This poem serves as a reminder that everything we are, we owe to the people that have come before us:
“Our root's soil,
Our stem's loam.
In you our base was based.
And from you the spring of which we are sprang.”
9. “My Mother, My Grandma, and Me” by Betty Best
In this poem, a young mother reflects on the ways her grandmother raised her mother and herself.
10. “What’s a Blessing, Grandma?” by Mary Lou Willoughby
In this poem, a grandson reflects on the wisdom his grandmother passed onto him.
11. “My Gift from Mother Nature on Mother’s Day” by Mary Nagy
In this poem, the narrator celebrates the weather and how it makes a Mother’s Day extra-special.
12. “Mother’s Day” by Harold F. Gregg Jr.
This poem celebrates all mothers, including grandmothers. It also reminds us that one day isn’t really enough to pay tribute:
“Mothers should always be remembered
Not just a Sunday in May
But each day throughout the year
Should be held as Mothers Day.”
Rest In Peace (RIP) or End-of-Life Poems for Grandma
When someone is sick, it’s easy to find the words for get well wishes. It can be harder to express how you feel to someone who is at the end of their life. These poems may help you put into words just what your grandmother means to you.
13. “Harmonia Mundi” by Liliana Ursu
This poem, originally written in Romanian, perfectly captures the memory of a beloved grandmother. The line “Grandmother’s apron, a white cloud scented with lavender under which I’d bend my head” ably evokes the way our grandmother’s scent seemed to envelop us as small children. This poem can help inspire you to share more memories of your own child with your grandma near the end of her life.
14. “Green Bananas” by Richard Michelson
This poem jumps around in time. The narrator remembers all the things they learned from their grandmother over the years. Their grandmother taught them about things like sacrifice and also taught them to protect their own feelings. The conclusion is especially powerful:
“Please stay, Grandma, I say, holding her tightly in the aisle, unashamed of my tears.
But of course, she died that very day, falling into honeydews,
the melons, like hand grenades, rolling every which way.”
15. “My Grandma” by Kat Tozer
This narrative poem speaks of a grandma surrounded by loved ones at the end of her life. It reminds us of how important it is to be present, even in sad times.
16. “Will Grandma Mickey’s Hair Still Be White, When We Are in Heaven?” by Oscar Mireles
This poem is a great end-of-life poem for people across the generations. The end is especially poignant:
“Will Grandma Mickey’s hair still be white, when we are in heaven?
is a question best answered by saying
what color would you want her hair to be
and hope he answers
whatever color she would want.”
17. “Grandma Sang a Special” by CR Clark
This poem is wonderful for families who are steeped in the church. It reminds us that we will be reunited with our loved ones again:
“Grandma sang a special in Montgomery
In the church where her youngest preached the word
He turned the tape recorder on and caught it
And still today, my Grandma can be heard”
18. “Grandma (A Poem for Her)” by Shaikyu Yun
This poem captures the bittersweet feeling at the end of someone’s life. While you grieve their loss, you’re relieved they’re no longer in pain.
Poems to Remember Your Grandma’s Life After She Died
When our grandparents die, we are often asked to eulogize them. If you’re not confident in your writing skills, you can always do a reading instead. These funeral poems for grandmothers are a great way to pay tribute.
19. “She is Gone” by David Harkins
This much-loved poem is an uplifting one to read at a funeral or memorial service. It reminds you that even though your grandmother has passed away, she has left so much good behind. It’s all about having perspective.
20. “She’s in the Sun, the Wind, the Rain” by Christy Ann Martine
When someone we love dies, we notice their absence profoundly. This poem reminds us to look for the spirit of those who have passed away. It lingers on all around us, even in the feel of the wind on our faces.
21. “Walking with my Father” by Linda Hogan
This bittersweet poem remembers a grandmother who has passed away. The narrator notes that even though the grandmother no longer lives, she remains frozen in time in the memories of those she left behind.
22. “Dear Grandma” by Ivy Schex
This simple and sweet poem would be an ideal funeral reading for a younger child:
“Dear Grandma, I remember
That you are there for me yet
Always a comfort to me
Dear Grandma, I won’t forget”
23. “In Remembrance of Grandma” by Joseph James Breunig III
This poem is short, but it packs a punch. It’s incredibly evocative in just a few lines:
“A manicured garden
of colored, cultured roses
now goes untended.
For Marguerite has been freed
of all mortal constraint;
left behind
is a silver trowel
and dancing shoes,
as her spirit flies
to the Hawaiian shore
for pirouetting barefoot
on the seashell sand.”
24. “Dear Grandma” by Irina Whitford
This funeral poem is a sweet tribute to a grandmother who passed her wisdom and attributes to her grandchildren:
“I have become steadfast in life
And it's all because of you.”
Poems in Honor of Grandmas and Great-Grandmas
Grandmothers and great-grandmothers can play important roles in our lives. They hug us and comfort us. They teach us how to bake cookies and bandage our skinned knees. They give us a safe haven when our own parents don’t seem to understand us.
These poems can help you express to your grandmother just how much you appreciate everything she’s done for you.