Death Cafe profile for Mary Ann Burrows
Location: Canada
https://maryannburrows.substack.com/
About Mary Ann Burrows :
I am a Canadian writer and poet. Ive written two books on the subject of death. One is The Last Hurrah - A Living Workbook for a Happy Ending and the second book is Uprooted, A Season of Grief - a poetry collection.
I write on substack for the publication Little Bird Poet.
What brings you to Death Cafe?
I came to Death Cafe because I’ve been sitting with grief—not just as something that happened to me, but as something I live with now. I recently lost my father, and while I’ve written my way through a lot of the pain, I’m still trying to understand the shape of what remains.
I’m also a death doula and a poet, and I believe in the power of sharing stories and silences. I think conversations about death—when held with care—can actually teach us a lot about how to live. I came to listen, to learn, and maybe to be reminded that I’m not alone in thinking about these things.
What would you like your legacy to be?
Every death reminds me to be more deliberate with my living. More honest. More present. I think the work of being alive is not just to survive—but to leave beauty behind in the way we love each other.
Thoughts for sharing:
I’ve come to believe that grief is not something to fix. It’s a landscape we learn to live in. Some days we hike it. Other days we sit by the side of the trail and cry. And both are holy.
— Mary Ann Burrows
Contact Mary Ann Burrows
Mary Ann Burrows 's posts on the Death Cafe website
New Blog post: What Grief Feels Like
Posted by Mary Ann Burrows on June 18, 2025, 6:19 p.m.
For the past seven months—since my father slipped beyond the veil and into the great mystery—I’ve been walking through what I can only call the season of grief. And let me tell you: it has not been gentle. It has been a rough, raw, soul-tumbling ride. I thought I was ready. After all, I’d had my whole life to prepare, to rehearse this leaving in my heart. But grief doesn’t ...