Poems
Poems and verses for funerals can bring comfort during such an upsetting and difficult time. Some poems can be uplifting, whilst others may be quite emotional or even funny. Here are some suggestions for anyone wishing to choose a moving poem or verse for their loved one’s funeral.
General Poems and Readings
REMEMBER ME (Version One)
Don’t remember me with sadness,
Don’t remember me with tears,
Remember all the laughter,
We’ve shared throughout the years.
Now I am contented
That my life it was worthwhile,
Knowing that I passed along the way
I made somebody smile.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind,
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
So please don’t be unhappy
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you
Each morning, noon and night.
~ Unknown ~
REMEMBER ME (Version Two)
To the living, I am gone,
To the sorrowful, I will never return,
To the angry, I was cheated,
But to the happy, I am at peace,
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot speak, but I can listen.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,
Remember me.
Remember me in your heart:
Your thoughts, and your memories,
Of the times we loved,
The times we cried,
The times we fought,
The times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never have gone.
~ Margaret Mead ~
AFTERGLOW
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.
~ Helen Lowrie Marshall ~
The Dash
I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his casket from beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of his birth, and spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time that he spent alive on earth,
And now, only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard; are there things you would like to change?
For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough to consider what is true and real
And always try to understand the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives like we have never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.
So when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say, about how your spent your dash?
~ Linda Ellis ~
LET ME GO
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that once we shared
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone.
It's all part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
~ Christina Rossetti ~
SHE IS GONE (HE IS GONE)
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday
You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
~ based on a verse by David Harkins ~
THE STAR
A light went out on Earth for me
The day we said goodbye
And on that day a star was born,
The brightest in the sky
Reaching through the darkness
With its rays of purest white
Lighting up the Heavens
As it once lit up my life
With beams of love to heal
The broken heart you left behind
Where always in my memory
Your lovely star will shine
~ Unknown ~
TO THOSE WHOM I LOVE AND THOSE WHO LOVE ME
When I am gone, release me, let me go.
I have so many things to see and do,
You mustn't tie yourself to me with too many tears,
But be thankful we had so many good years.
I gave you my love, and you can only guess
How much you've given me in happiness.
I thank you for the love that you have shown,
But now it is time I travelled on alone.
So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It is only for a while that we must part,
So treasure the memories within your heart.
I won't be far away for life goes on.
And if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can't see or touch me, I will be near.
And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear,
All my love around you soft and clear.
And then, when you come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile and a 'Welcome Home'.
~ Unknown ~
IF I SHOULD GO TOMORROW
If I should go tomorrow
It would never be goodbye,
For I have left my heart with you,
So don't you ever cry.
The love that's deep within me,
Shall reach you from the stars,
You'll feel it from the heavens,
And it will heal the scars.
~ Unknown ~
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Don’t think of her/him as gone away
Her/His journey’s just begun,
Life holds so many facets
This earth is only one.
Just think of her/him as resting
From the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort
Where there are no days and years.
Think how she/he must be wishing
That we could know today
How nothing but our sadness
Can really pass away.
And think of her/him as living
In the hearts of those she/he touched
For nothing loved is ever lost
And she/he was loved so much.
~ Ellen Brenneman ~
THERE IS NO LIGHT WITHOUT A DAWNING
No winter without a spring
And beyond the dark horizon
Our hearts will once more sing ….
For those who leave us for a while
Have only gone away
Out of a restless, care worn world
Into a brighter day
~ Helen Steiner Rice ~
WARM SUMMER SUN
Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.
Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.
Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.
~ Mark Twain ~
DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
~ Mary Elizabeth Frye ~
DEATH IS NOTHING AT ALL
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just round the corner.
All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
~ Henry Scott Holland ~
THE CLOCK OF LIFE
The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed
To lose ones health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.
The present only is our own
So live, love, toil with a will
Place no faith in “tomorrow”
For the clock may then be still.
~ Robert H Smith ~
LOOK FOR ME IN RAINBOWS
Time for me to go now, I won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, way up in the sky.
In the morning sunrise when all the world is new,
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.
Time for me to leave you, I won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I'll be close to you.
It won't be forever, the day will come and then
My loving arms will hold you, when we meet again.
Time for us to part now, we won't say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, shining in the sky.
Every waking moment, and all your whole life through
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.
Just wish me to be near you,
And I'll be there with you.
~ Conn Bernard and Vicki Brown ~
Religious Poems and Readings
ANGEL
Tear drops, slow and steady, The pain so real and true,
God took another angel, And that angel, dear, was you.
Angel wings, upon the clouds, Your body softly sleeps,
Hush now little angel, No more tears you have to weep.
Little prayers are sent to you, The short life you led;
Your family will never forget you, So rest your little head.
I know God will look after you, Now you are truly alive,
Your spirit soars beyond the moon, Your legacy will survive.
You’re beautiful, you’re endless, Now stretch your wings and fly,
You’re loved by so many, It will never be goodbye.
Close your pretty eyes, No more tears, just go and rest,
Let your soul lie peacefully, We know you did your best.
~ Unknown ~
PRAYER
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening
Into the house and gate of heaven,
To enter into that gate and dwell in that house,
Where there shall be no darkness, nor dazzling,
but one equal light;
No noise, nor silence, but one equal music;
No fears, nor hopes, but one equal possession;
No ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity;
In the habitations of thy majesty and glory,
World without end.
~ John Donne ~
SAFELY HOME
I am in home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
All the pain and grief is over;
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in heaven at last.
Did you wonder why I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! But Jesus' love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.
And he came himself to meet me
in that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?
Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth's shadows,
Pray to trust our Father's will.
There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth;
You shall rest in Jesus' land.
When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!
~ Unknown ~
COME WITH ME
God saw you getting tired
And a cure was not to be
So He put His arms around you
And whispered ‘Come with Me.’
With tearful eyes
We watched you suffer
And saw you fade away,
Although we loved you dearly
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands at rest,
God broke our hearts to prove
He only takes the best.
It’s lonesome here without you,
We miss you more each day,
Life doesn’t seem the same
Since you’ve gone away.
When days are sad and lonely
And everything goes wrong,
We seem to hear you whisper
‘Cheer up and carry on.’
Each time we see your picture,
You seem to smile and say
‘Don’t cry, I’m in God’s keeping
We’ll meet again someday.’
You never said ‘I’m leaving’,
You never said goodbye,
You were gone before we knew it,
And only God knew why.
A million times we needed you,
A million times we cried,
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we love you still ,
In our hearts you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you didn’t go alone,
For part of us went with you,
The day God took you home.
~ Rhonda Braswell ~
Poems for those who had Dementia/Alzheimer’s
This small selection of poems may hold a poignant message if your loved one suffered with Dementia or Alzheimer’s.
BLESSED ARE THEY….
Blessed are they who understand
My faltering step and shaking hand;
Blessed, who know my ears today
Must strain to catch the things they say.
Blessed are those who seem to know
My eyes are dim and my mind is slow,
Blessed are those who look away
When I spilled tea that weary day.
Blessed are they who, with cheery smile
Stopped to chat for a little while;
Blessed are those who never say
‘You’ve told that story twice today.”
Blessed are they who know the way
To bring back memories of yesterday;
Blessed are they who make it known
That I am loved, respected and not alone;
And blessed are they who ease the days
Of my journey home, in loving ways.
~ Esther Mary Walker ~
DO NOT ASK ME TO REMEMBER
Do not ask me to remember,
Don’t try to make me understand,
Let me rest and know you’re with me,
Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.
I’m confused beyond your concept,
I am sad and sick and lost.
All I know is that I need you
To be with me at all cost.
Do not lose your patience with me,
Do not scold or curse or cry.
I can’t help the way I’m acting,
Can’t be different though I try.
Just remember that I need you,
That the best of me is gone,
Please don’t fail to stand beside me,
Love me ’til my life is done.
~ Owen Darnell ~
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS FREE
There was a time when I was free
To live my life in harmony,
Before the illness, which blighted me,
Swept faces and places from my mind,
People I loved from my memory.
Remember me as I used to be.
Think of me; remember my smile,
The love we shared; linger awhile.
I am at Peace now, I am me.
At rest for all eternity.
~ Unknown ~
Poems for babies and small children
GONE TOO SOON
As we opened our eyes this morning
We realised life still goes on,
But lately our lives have less meaning
Because of someone that’s gone.
A life that ended too early,
Made our worlds fall apart,
And now we are left here without you,
With sadness and pain in our hearts.
Gone too soon, you have left us,
You took the stars and the moon,
The sun doesn’t shine like it used to
Because you were gone too soon.
We put on a brave face for others;
We try to be strong amongst friends,
But we are still thinking about you
As yet another day ends.
We know this hurt we are feeling
Will never get better again;
You have left such an emptiness,
That’s now filled with sorrow and pain.
We cry when we think about you
We cry for you to be near,
We cry when we see your picture,
We cry because you’re not here.
Gone too soon were the good times.
It’s something like bursting a balloon.
One minute it’s there before you,
#and the next it’s gone too soon.
~ Stephen Meara-Blount~
LITTLE SNOWDROP
The world may never notice
If a Snowdrop doesn't bloom,
Or even pause to wonder
If the petals fall too soon.
But every life that ever forms,
Or ever comes to be,
Touches the world in some small way
For all eternity.
The little one we longed for
Was swiftly here and gone.
But the love that was then planted
Is a light that still shines on.
And though our arms are empty,
Our hearts know what to do.
For every beating of our hearts
Says that we love you.
~ Unknown ~
NEVER
We’ll never get to see your precious face;
or whisper words to make you feel safe
We’ll never get to hold you tight
when you can’t sleep at night.
We’ll never get to sing to you a sweet lullaby,
to calm you down when you cry,
We’ll never get to fall asleep with you in our arms,
all bundled in a blanket to keep you warm.
We’ll never get to hear you laugh and giggle
or see you little toes wiggle,
There are many things we will never get to do,
but the hardest is not being with you.
~ K Fugleberg ~
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL REMAINS
The tide reaches but leaves behind
bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle
warmth still lingers on the land.
The music stops, and yet echoes
on in sweet refrains
For everything joy that passes,
something beautiful remains.
~ Unknown ~
TOO SOON
This was a life that had hardly begun
No time to find your place in the Sun
No time to do all you could have done
But we loved you enough for a lifetime
No time to enjoy the world and it's wealth
No time to take life down off the shelf
No time to sing the songs of yourself
Though you had enough love for a lifetime.
Those who live long endure sadness and tears
But you'll never suffer the sorrowing years
No betrayal, no anger, no hatred, no fears
Just love - Only love - In your lifetime.
~ Mary Yarnall ~
TINY FOOTPRINTS
These are my footprints, so perfect and so small.
These tiny footprints never touched the ground at all.
Not one tiny footprint, for now I have my wings,
These tiny footprints were meant for other things.
You will hear my tiny footprints in the patter of the rain,
Gentle drops like angels’ tears, of joy and not from pain.
You will see my tiny footprints in each butterfly’s lazy dance,
I’ll let you know I’m with you, if you give me just a chance.
You will see my tiny footprints in the rustle of the leaves,
I will whisper names into the wind and call each one that grieves.
Most of all, these tiny footprints are found in mummy’s heart,
‘cause even though I’m gone now, we’ll never truly part.
Alternative penultimate line:
Most of all, these tiny footprints are found in both your hearts,
~ Unknown ~
SWEET ONE
Sweet one, it’s time to rest now,
Your pain has finally ceased.
You’ve breathed your final breath now,
Your little heart’s at peace.
My love for you was mighty,
Your wounds were mightier still.
You faced it all so bravely,
And for that, I always will.
They say that love’s the answer
But my love for you was vast
And yet it couldn’t save you,
Your little life so fast.
So sleep a peaceful slumber,
The slumber of the true.
You’ll always be our angel love,
We’ll never forget you.
~ Donna Ashworth ~
