Spirit Visits From A Loved One - Cardinal Spirit Poem

A creative writer at heart, Janis was first published at age 11. Most of her poems express core issues of love, loss, trauma, and healing.

Bright Red Cardinals Often Carry Spirits

Spirit Visits of Our Deceased Loved Ones

It is believed by some that our deceased loved ones never leave us. We miss them dearly and they know it. Their spirits are said to make visits to protect us, guide us, provide us comfort, and to let us know they are always around. This belief never rang so true for me until my dear mother passed away.

It's been a little over seven years and I miss her with the same intensity as if she died yesterday. I still reach for the phone to call her and occasionally have to pause when I have something interesting to tell her. Within a half-second, I suddenly realize I cannot, at least not in the way I would prefer.

My Mother's Spirit Still Lives

Since the day I returned home to Washington, DC after my mother's funeral in Buffalo, New York, she has been with me. My mother's loving spirit appeared for the first time in the form of a beautiful cardinal, as I pulled up in the car, in front of my house. This bird was curiously perched atop the house address light post. As soon as I looked at it, I instinctively knew it was my mother sending me a message through the cardinal, that she was here and that I would be okay.

To this day, I continue to see cardinals as they sporadically appear in my back and front yards. Is it the same bird each time? Not likely, but I know it's her spirit each time greeting me. One day, there were two outside the bathroom window on the roof. I believe she brought my deceased brother along (who had preceded her in death six years earlier) to say hello.

Before doing research for this topic, I had never heard of cardinals being one of the most common animals for spirit visitations. Writing a poem without this prior knowledge, confirmed for me that what I've known and felt in my own spirit and soul was not imagined. I offer the following poem in memory of my dearly departed mother whose spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of family members, friends and in the lovely life form of a graceful red bird.

A Poem About Spirit Visitation

"Cardinal Spirit"

Perched in front of my house

Dressed in your favorite color

You greeted me with your spirit

"Welcome Back!"

You appeared to let me know

"I am with you"

I see you in the morning

Flying through the air

Landing on the porch roof

Or perching on a branch of a tree

High in the sky, swooping downward

You stop in your tracks

Giving pause to your daughter

Looking out for you, expecting you

Knowing you will show

Keeping your visits of promise

Even at mid-afternoon

As I'm leaving out

There you are, waving your wing

Bidding me, "Have a good day"

My heart still broken

Losing you too soon

Needing to hear your voice

Missing our talks and laughs

The presence of the cardinal

Ushering in your spirit

Comforts my soul

JLE 2017

A Mother's Love Never Dies

Birds and Insects are Common Carriers of Spirit

Your Experience With Spirit Visits

Questions & Answers

Question: My mothers' spirit is no longer visiting me. She stays with my daughters they see her in the form of a red bird all the time. Is it because they need her more than me?

Answer: That may be true, we cannot know for sure. But trust the fact that your mother's spirit is visiting all of you, maybe at different times. Perhaps you can do other things to keep your mom's memory alive when you're missing her, like journaling. You can speak to her spirit even if you don't always see the red bird.

Question: How long did the spirit of your mother visit before she stopped?

Answer: I'd say she visited more often, maybe, the first two years. But I was also more engaged in looking for her. I occasionally see cardinals still. Now I feel it may be my sister as well who passed away in 2015. I believe both of them continue to visit.

Question: How come my mother has not come to talk with me in my dreams?

Answer: We cannot always control what comes into our dreams. It could be a while before some people are visited by their loved ones in their dreams. It's a very individual thing that, in my experience, cannot be predicted. Continue to relive the best memories and thoughts of your beloved and hopefully you'll receive the visit soon.

© 2017 Janis Leslie Evans