Below are a wide range of poems for you have a look through in your own time. Some will resonate with you, others won’t; poems are a very personal choice.

A poem can help the funeral feel more modern or personal and may also give you more choice than traditional readings. A poem can be a connection to the person you’ve lost. It could describe something they cared about, your relationship to them, be a reminder of them, or something comforting about the process of grief. There are obviously many others available online.

The Dash, by Linda Ellis.

I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral of a friend.  He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth and now only those who loved them 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 lived and loved and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change?  For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.

To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve 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 you lived your dash?

A Symphony of Music – Dr Denise Lochrie

A Symphony of Music
Is how I’ll think of you
A Unique composition
That plays your life right through

Encompassing each part of it
From now back to the start
A music touch of specialness
Which captivates my heart

An orchestra of violins
With drums and brass and harps
And every note unlike the next
Diminuendos, crescendos and sharps

A symphony so beautiful
Imprinted in my heart
To take me through my memories
From me they will never part

And every note will touch a part
Of every thought in mind
Recalling times and memories
They’ll not be hard to find

A symphony of music, I dedicate so true
A daughter’s/Wife’s/Friend’s love
To you my Dad/Mom/Wife
Composed from me to you

Life Goes On
Joyce Grenfell
If I should go before the rest of you,
Break not a flower not inscribe a stone
Nor when I’m gone speak in a Sunday voice
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must,
Parting is hell,
But life goes on,
So sing as well.

Success by Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is success?
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate the beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”

Remember Me by Anthony Dowson (2016)

Speak of me as you have always done.
Remember the good times, laughter, and fun.

Share the happy memories we’ve made.
Do not let them wither or fade.

I’ll be with you in the summer’s sun
And when the winter’s chill has come.

I’ll be the voice that whispers in the breeze.
I’m peaceful now, put your mind at ease.

I’ve rested my eyes and gone to sleep,
But memories we’ve shared are yours to keep.

Sometimes our final days may be a test,
But remember me when I was at my best.

Although things may not be the same,
Don’t be afraid to use my name.

Let your sorrow last for just a while.
Comfort each other and try to smile.

I’ve lived a life filled with joy and fun.
Live on now, make me proud of what you’ll become.

My North, South, East and West ~ Lady Heguri
translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Bownas and Anthony Thwaite. (mid-late 8^th C)

He was my North, my South,
my East and West….
A thousand years you said,
as our hearts meted.
I look at the hand that you held,
and the ache is hard to bear….

Mark Nepo

We waste so much energy trying to cover up who

We really are, when beneath every attitude is the want to be loved.

Beneath every anger is a wound to be healed,

Beneath every sadness there is the fear that there will not be enough time.

 

When I Am Dead, Cry For Me A Little.
A Native Indian Prayer

When I am dead,
Cry for me a little,
Think of me sometimes,
But not too much.

Think of me now and again,
As I was in life at some moment,
That is pleasant to recall –
But not too long.

Leave me in peace,
And I shall leave you in peace.
And whilst you live,
Let your thoughts be with the living.

 

Death is Not the End ~Peter Tatchell

Death is not the end
But the beginning
Of a metamorphosis.
For matter is never destroyed
Only transformed
And rearranged –
Often more perfectly.
Witness how in the moment of a caterpillar’s death
The beauty of the butterfly is born
And released from the prison of the cocoon
It flies free.

ALL IS WELL ~ Oliver Wright

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,

Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, laugh for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.

Remember Me ~ Anon.
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 the shore
Gazing at the beautiful sea, remember me
As you look in awe at a mighty forest
And it’s grand majesty, remember me

Remember me in your hearts,
In your thoughts, and the memories of the
Times we loved, the times we cried, the
Battle we fought and the times we laughed
For if you always think of me, I will
Have never gone.

The Book ~ Paul Meadows 1969 

Go to the place we loved, our secret place.
Close your eyes and you’ll see my face.

Play that tune, the tune we loved to hear.
Close your eyes and you’ll see me clear.

Walk on a beach or climb to the top of a hill.
Close your eyes and you’ll see me still.

Take a sip of wine, a (sweet/ dark red) wine.
Close your eyes and you’ll see me fine.

At night go out and look at the brightest star.
Close your eyes and You’ll see me far.

On a day when the sky is blue and cold and clear.
Close your eyes and you’ll see me near.

Take down a book that would have been my choice.
Open the book, Close your eyes. You’ll hear my voice.

Too Soon ~Mary Yarnall 1955

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 its wealth
No time to take life
Down off the shelf
No time to sing
The song 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 hated, no fears,
Just love – only love – in your lifetime.

Tomorrows ~ Simon Bridges

After this day has darkened and gone
And I wake to the rest of my life
I shall think of the times and the places we saw
When we were husband and wife.

And I know I shall visit those places we loved
And walk by the fields and the sea
Where you and I spent our happiest hours
And somehow, you’ll be there with me.

If I go through the woods to the top of the hill
Or run barefoot over the sand
I shall hear your voice in the wind, my love,
And feel the touch of your hand.

And people who see me on my own
As they pass me on the track
Might wonder why, if I’m really alone,
I pause sometimes and look back.

To where the roadside trees are blurred
By the early evening mist:
I’ll be waiting for you to catch up, my love,
From where you’ve stopped to rest.

And though people will find many ways to be kind
They will never understand
How I hear your voice in the sigh of the wind
And feel the touch of your hand.

I wish you enough… Anon

I wish you enough sun to keep your outlook bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit strong.
I wish you enough pain to make life’s joys seem precious.
I wish you enough luck to satisfy your needs.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate what you keep.
I wish you enough hellos to help you through the final goodbye.
My friends I wish you enough….

You can shed tears that (he/she) is gone ~ Anon (amend accordingly)

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’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love 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’s 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’d want: smile, open your eyes love and go on.

Extract from ‘Gone Fishing’ by Chris Rea

And when my time has come
I will look back and see
Peace on the shoreline
That could have been me.

You can waste a whole lifetime
Trying to be
What you think is expected of you
But you’ll never be free.

May as well go fishing…

Quote ~ Oliver Sachs
“There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled. But the joy of having known that person, and the comfort of having them in your memories, is never lost.”

At times like this ~ David Lott

At times like this
We may look through books
For the perfect words
To give form to our feelings,
Make the thing complete,
Set the matter at rest.
But in the hours of searching
Each piece lies rejected:
Too precise, too difficult,
Too harsh, not relevant,
Implying what we do not wish.

But look into the grey wide sky,
And the thoughts will come
Like this –
Remember me when I loved you most
And you loved me most.
Remember me when I was my bravest,
And when I did you right.
Then let that be our secret bond,
And just once let us rise in the morning
And enjoy the light,
And know that the bird in the mist
Is returning to the sun.

Gone Fishin…  By Delmar Pepper

I’ve finished life’s chores assigned to me,
So put me on a boat headed out to sea.
Please send along my fishing pole
For I’ve been invited to the fishin’ hole.

Where every day is a day to fish,
To fill your heart with every wish.
Don’t worry, or feel sad for me,
I’m fishin’ with the Master of the sea.

We will miss each other for a while,
But you will come and bring your smile.
That won’t be long you will see,
Till we’re together you and me.

To all of those that think of me,
Be happy as I go out to sea.
If others wonder why I’m missin’
Just tell ’em I’ve gone fishin’

Pardon me for not getting up by Kelly Roper
A fun poem, but one also tinged with sadness.

Oh dear, if you’re reading this right now,
I must have given up the ghost.
I hope you can forgive me for being
Such a stiff and unwelcoming host.

Just talk amongst yourself my friends,
And share a toast or two.
For I am sure you will remember well
How I loved to drink with you.

Don’t worry about mourning me,
I was never easy to offend.
Feel free to share a story at my expense
And we’ll have a good laugh at the end.

 

The Footballer’s Prayer PAUL COOKSON

Our team
Which art eleven
Hallowed be thy game
Our match be won
Their score be none
On turf as we score at least seven
Give us today no daily red … card
And forgive us our lost passes
As we forgive those Who lose passes against us
Lead us not into retaliation
And deliver us from penalties
For three is the kick off
The power and scorer
For ever and ever
Full time

 

Poem About Football –  Brock Greaves, Grade 7 2017

For those with us of obsessive need,
For some action, drama mayhem and speed,
There is no entertainment that I can recall
That comes close to the glorious sport of – football.

Across the country the weekly scene
Bowls of excitement, jugs of energy and a flat screen,
With surround sound speakers, volume up high
Your team enters the field, a tear fills your eye

Football fans have a passion, other fans can’t approach,
More knowledge of the game than even the coach,
More skill than the person that fumbled at the fifty
He can be, really shifty

For us fans, seasons end is so sad, a gloomy day
Results insult, that never goes away
Until April returns to get life on back on track
All is right with the world; footy is back.

 

Don’t Be Too Sad – Author Unknown

I’ve lived my life, I’ve tried my best
The memories I hold dear
Are experiences I have known
Of happiness and tears

The love of my family
The care of my friends
The good times I’ve shared
Right to the end

I’ve travelled life’s byways
Seen children grow up
Experienced life’s living
And drunk from love’s cup

I leave you with memories
With thoughts of you all
I’m no longer with you
But your mind will recall

The good times we shared
The laughter we had
Please cherish these memories
And don’t be too sad.

 

No One knew by Dick Underwood

No one knew the torment, that you were going through;
We only kept on seeing, what we really wanted to.

We saw the outward smile, but not your inner pain;
We never really dreamt, that you would never smile again.

Forgive us if we failed to see, what we could do to aid;
Or if we failed to comprehend, how much you were afraid.

We pray your mental anguish, Will now forever cease;
And that your deep anxieties, Will be replaced by peace.

We know your pain invaded, every single thought you had;
It made you cry internally, And deeply, deeply sad.

But we in turn remember, the good times, not the bad;
We remember when you smiled at us, and not when you were sad.

So, when we think about your life, we won’t dwell upon its close;
We’ll remember all the good times, and forget about life’s blows.

We’ll remember all the happiness, The joy and not the tears;
The assurance and the confidence, And not irrational fears.

Our lives have all been better, because you have been there;
So now we leave your memory, in our hearts loving care.

 

If Only – by Karen Howard

If only we’d stopped and knocked on your door;
If only we’d known you couldn’t take any more;
If only we’d been there, if only we’d called;
If we’d not been so busy – and once again stalled.

Why didn’t we see then, the pain in your eyes
And know that you felt so alone and despised.
Why didn’t we hear the hurt in your voice,
And know you were about to make your last choice!

Maybe if we had been home on that day,
We’d have changed things for you in some little way
Maybe if we’d chosen our words with a little more care,
We could have seen more and been more aware.

We feel so bewildered and torn from inside,
The truth of it all gives us nowhere to hide.
Each time the phone rings, though we know it’s not you,
We’re still trying to see things from your point of view.

Please, help us find some true peace of mind,
Without leaving the memories of our friendship behind.
Grant us the courage to start once again,
To trust in the love and the life of a friend.

 

As We Look Back by Clare Jones

As we look back over time,
we find ourselves wondering,
did we remember to thank you enough,
for all you have done for us?
For all the times you were by our sides,
to help and support us,
to celebrate our successes,
to understand our problems,
and accept our defeats?
Or for teaching us by your example,
the value of hard work, good judgement,
courage and integrity?
We wonder if we ever thanked you,
for the sacrifices you made.
to let us have the very best?
And for the simple things,
like laughter, smiles and times we shared?
If we have forgotten to show our
gratitude enough for all the things you did,
We’re thanking you now.
and we are hoping you knew all along,
how much you meant to us.

 

Do not stand by my grave and weep ~ Mary Elizabeth Frye

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 sunlight 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

When I am dead, my dearest by Christine Rossetti

When I am dead, my dearest,

Sing no sad songs for me;

Plant thou no roses at my head,

Nor shady cypress tree:

Be the green grass above me

With showers and dewdrops wet;

And if thou wilt, remember,

And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,

I shall not feel the rain;

I shall not hear the nightingale

Sing on, as if in pain:

And dreaming through the twilight

That doth not rise nor set,

Haply I may remember,

And haply may forget.