In this article, my approach to grief tending for the adult survivor of childhood trauma is to integrate a practice of poetic inquiry into one's evolving relationship with oneself. As has been well documented by trauma theory, arts-based practices, here working strictly with poetry, are capable of embracing the often non-linear and multi-layered realities of our emotional woundings that are carried with us throughout our lives. By forging pathways through the wilderness of grief with poetic modes of inquiry and exploration, I suggest that we are able to shift healing work toward creative and empowering survivor-centred practices.