In-person author event

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 and received hundreds of submissions from around the world.

The result was Voices of the Grieving Heart, first published in 1994. More than just an anthology of poetry, it is a companion on the darkest road many of us will ever have to travel: grieving the death of someone we loved.

This 30th anniversary expanded edition contains over 130 selected poems by 80 writers who authentically share their journeys through loss, grief, and transformation, including:

• Deaths due to suicide, stillbirth, COVID-19, and other circumstances
• Reflections on grief, 30 years later, from contributors to the first edition of this book
• Blank pages for readers to add their own poetry, with suggestions for how to begin writing

"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."
–Debbie Augenthaler, LMHC, NCC, Author of You Are Not Alone

"In an age where grief is made more complex by pandemic isolation, Voices of the Grieving Heart embraces readers within a healing community, where one hears their own voice emerging from the words of others."
–Joe DeSantis, Chaplain, Samaritan Life-Enhancing Care

Mike Bernhardt's first wife, Susan, died in 1991. In the years that followed, he published the first edition of Voices of the Grieving Heart, remarried, and raised a son with his second wife, Yvonne. Mike is a Certified Grief Educator and has volunteered as a peer grief support volunteer. He has spoken to groups, on radio, and on podcasts to discuss this book, his experience of grief, and how poetry can help us to express the inexpressible. Mike is also an award-winning travel writer whose work has appeared in many print and online publications. He and his family reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.