Funeral Poems
Funeral or sympathy poems are a great resource to be used in funeral and memorial services. Not only can they represent the personality of the loved one, but they can bring comfort to those grieving. They can be read alone, or weaved into the service conducted by the ceremony leader for example a celebrant. Many people opt to have the poem printed in their order of service, so mourners can follow the words. Below is a large collection of poems to bring inspiration:-
Brightest Star by Robyn O’Connell:
‘With no dark clouds surrounding me, I can only see sunshine ahead
Although I will miss you all so terribly, I do regret what has been left unsaid
If I could have said goodbye to you all, especially those I loved so much
I would have but I had to leave without a loved one’s touch
We may never understand the reasons why I had to go
What breaks my heart is that you are hurting, I beg that this isn’t so
I loved you all beyond limits, there aren’t enough words to say
But I get that I’m not there, so it doesn’t matter at the end of the day
Yet the words that I leave you now with, are ones that mean the most you see
I ask you to remember all the good times, this is really important to me
Live your lives to the full, look after those I love, I beg you from afar
Then look to the night sky, I’ll be there shining brightly from a star
I’ll be the biggest and brightest thing in the sky, I’ll shine you’ll see me for sure
So when the heartache comes, just go for a walk, I’ll be right outside your door
My light and my love will never dim, on this you can rely
No matter where in the world you are, you’ll see me as the brightest star in the sky.’
On Those Days by Donna Ashworth
'On those days
when you miss someone the most
as though your memories
are sharp enough
to slice through skin and bone
remember how they loved you
Remember how they loved you
and do that
for yourself
In their name
in their honour
Love yourself
as they loved you
They would like that
On those days
when you miss someone the most
love yourself harder'
God's Garden by unknown
God looked around his garden And found an empty place,He then looked down upon the earthAnd saw your tired face.He put his arms around you And lifted you to rest.God's garden must be beautiful He always takes the best. He knew that you were suffering He knew you were in pain. He knew that you would never Get well on earth again.He saw the road was getting rough And the hills were hard to climb.So he closed your weary eyelids And whispered, "Peace be thine".It broke our hearts to lose you But you didn't go alone,For part of us went with youThe day God called you home.
TAKE THE LOVE
Take the love you have for me
and turn it into laughter
turn it into blinding light
to shine on you thereafter
Take the love you have for me
and show it to the world
something so amazing
needs to blossom and unfurl
Take the love that made us
keep it burning bright
let that fire guide you
let it warm you through the night
Take the love you shared with me
and spread it out with gladness
my life will not have been in vain
if you can fight the sadness
Take the love my darling
it’s yours to carry on
grow that love forevermore
and then I won’t be gone.
Donna Ashworth
One at Rest (unknown author)
Think of me as one at rest
For me you should not weep
I have no pain no troubled thoughts
For I am just asleep
The living thinking me that was,
Is now forever still
And life goes on without me now
As time forever will
If your heart is heavy now
Because Ive gone away
Dwell not long upon it friend
For none of us can stay
Those of you who liked me
I sincerely thank you all
And those of you who loved me
I thank you most of all
Andin my fleeting lifespan
As time went rushing by
I found some time to hesitate
To laugh, to love, to cry
Matters it now if time began
If time will ever cease?
I was here, I used it all,
And now I am at peace
A Song of Living
by Amelia Josephine Burr
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.
I have run and leaped with the rain, I have taken the wind to my breast.
My cheek like a drowsy child to the face of the earth I have pressed.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have kissed young love on the lips, I have heard her song to the end.
I have struck my hand like a seal in the loyal hand of a friend.
I have known the peace of heaven, the comfort of work done well.
I have longed for death in the darkness and risen alive out of hell.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I give a share of my soul to the world where my course is run.
I know that another shall finish the task I must leave undone.
I know that no flower, nor flint was in vain on the path I trod.
As one looks on a face through a window,
through life, I have looked on God.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
Memories Build a Special Bridge
Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part to help us feel we're with them still and sooth a grieving heart.Our memories span the years we shared, preserving ties that bind,They build a special bridge of love and bring us peace of mind.Emily Matthews
What Is Success?
A variation of ‘Success’ by Bessie Anderson Stanley (1904)
That Man is a Success
Who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of children;
Who has filled his niche
and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
whether by improved poppy, a perfect poem,
or a rescued soul;
Who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it.
Who looked for the best in others
and gave the best he had.
And finally, to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
This is success
A Difficult Life (When I Am Gone)
by Mrs Lyman Hancock
When I have come to the end of my journey
And I travel my last weary mile,
Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned
And remember only the smile.
Forget unkind words I have spoken
Remember some good that I’ve done
Forget that I ever had heartache
And remember I had loads of fun.
Forget that I’ve stumbled and blundered
And sometimes fell by the way.
Remember that I have fought some hard battles,
Yet won at the end of the day.
Then forget to grieve for my going
I would not have you sad for a day
But in summer just gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay
And come in the shade of the evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best.
If I Had A Voice
by Caroline Wilkes
If I had a voice now
It would be loving
And I would say thank you for all of your care.
If I had a voice now
I’d want to tell you
I’m sorry for not always wanting to be there.
My life, it confused you, it did so to me.
But I am released now and my heart is free.
The heart that was hidden beneath all the pain,
It felt so much more than I could explain.
And if I had a voice now,
I’d say out loud
I love you, I wish that I’d made that clear.
And in my lifetime
I need you to know
That I was much more than I did appear.
These are things that I’d say through choice…if I had a chance and if I had a voice.
Faith You will not see me, so you must have faith. I wait for the time when we can soar together again, both aware of each other. Until then, live your life to its fullest and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart, ...I will be there.Emily Dickenson
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.
Title and Author Unknown
I wonder if the sun debates dawn
some mornings not wanting to rise
out of bed from under the down-feather horizon
If the sky grow stired
of being everywhere at once
adapting to the mood swings of the weather
If the clouds drift off trying to hold themselves together
make deals with gravity
to loiter a little longer
I wonder if rain is scared
of falling, if it has trouble letting go
If snow flakes get sick
of being perfect all the time
each one trying to be one-of-a-kind
I wonder if stars wish upon themselves before the die
if they need to teach their young to shine
I wonder if shadows long to once feel the sun
if they get lost in the shuffle
not knowing where they’re from
I wonder if sunrise and sunset
respect each other
even though they’ve never met
If volcanoes get stressed
If storms have regrets
If compost believes in life after death
I wonder if breath ever thinks
about taking a break
I wonder if the wind just wants to sit
still sometimes
and watch the world pass by
If smoke was born knowing how to rise
If rainbows get shy back stage
not sure if their colors match right
I wonder if lightning sets an alarm clock
to know when to crack
If rivers ever stop
and think of turning back
If streams meet the wrong sea
and their whole lives run off-track
I wonder if the snow wants to be black
If the soil thinks she’s too dark
If butterflies want to cover up their marks
If rocks are self-conscious of their weight
If mountains are insecure of their strength
I wonder if waves get discouraged
crawling up the sand
only to be pulled back again
to where they began
I wonder if land feels stepped upon
If sand feels insignificant
If trees need to question their lovers
to know where they stand
If branches waver in the crossroads
unsure of which way to grow
If the leaves understand they’re replaceable
and still dance when the wind blows
I wonder where the moon goes when she is hiding
I want to find her there
and watch the ocean spin from a distance
Listen to her stir in her sleep,
effort gives way to existence
Alzheimers
By Dick Underwood, from his Dreams ofthe Soul anthology
You didn’t die just recently,
You died some time ago.
Although your body stayed a while,
And didn’t really know.
For you had got Alzheimer’s,
You failed to comprehend.
Your body went on living.
But your mind had reached its end.
So we’ve already said, “Goodbye”,
To the person that we knew.
The person that we truly loved,
The person that was you.
And so we meet again today,
To toast your body’s end.
For it was true and faithful,
Until right at the end.
And so, when we remember,
We’ll think of all the rest.
We’ll concentrate on earlier,
And remember all the best.
For in the real scheme of things,
Your illness wasn’t long.
Compared to all the happiness,
You brought your whole life long.
We think of you as yesterday,
When you were fit and well.
And when we’re asked about you,
It’s those things that we’ll tell.
And so we meet in remembrance,
Of a mind so fit and true.
We’re here to pay our last respects
To say that, “We love you”.
AFTERGLOW (unknown author)
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.
FEEL NO GUILT IN LAUGHTER
Feel no guilt in laughter, he’d know how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile that he is not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever; he would not want you to.
He’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour or a day,
That brings him back as clearly as though he were still here,
And fills you with the feeling that he is always near.
For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And he will live forever locked safely within your heart. Unknown
BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I think, no matter where you stray,
That I shall go with you a way.
Though you may wander sweeter lands,
You will not soon forget my hands,
Nor yet the way I held my head,
Nor all the tremulous things I said.
You still will see me, small and white
And smiling, in the secret night,
And feel my arms about you when
The day comes fluttering back again.
I think, no matter where you be,
You’ll hold me in your memory
And keep my image, there without me,
By telling later loves about me. DorothyParker (1893 – 1967)
OUR MEMORIES BUILD A SPECIAL BRIDGE
When loved ones have to part
To help us feel were with them still
And soothe a grieving heart
They span the years and warm our lives
Preserving ties that bind
Our memories build a special bridge
And bring us peace of mind Emily Mathews
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 the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
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 greengrass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet
And if thou wilt remember, And ifthou wilt, forget.
I shall not see the shadows, I shallnot fear 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. Christina Rosetti
EARLY DEATH
She passed away like morning dew
Before the sun was high;
So brief her time, she scarcely knew
The meaning of a sigh.
As round the rose its soft perfume,
Sweet love around her floated;
Admired she grew-while mortal doom
Crept on, un-feared, un-noted.
Love was her guardian Angel here,
But Love to Death resigned her;
Though Love was kind, why should we fear
But holy Death is kinder? HartleyColeridge (1796 – 1849)
FAMILY O’ MINE: I SHOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU A SUNBEAM
Family o’ mine:
I should like to send you a sunbeam, or the twinkle of some bright star, or a tiny piece of the downy fleece that clings to a cloud afar.
I should like to send you the essence of a myriad sun-kissed flowers, or the lilting song as it floats along, of a brook through fairy bowers. I should like to send you the dew-drops that glisten at break of day, and then at night the eerie light that mantles the Milky Way.
I should like to send you the power that nothing can overflow –
the power to smile and laugh the while a-jouneying through life you go. But these are mere fanciful wishes; I’ll send you a Godspeed instead, and I’ll clasp your hand – then you’ll understand all the things I have left unsaid.
Anonymous
FOR KATRINA’S SUN DIAL
Time is too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love, time is
Eternity. HenryVan Dyke (1852 – 1933)
FEAR NO MORE THE HEAT O’ THE SUN
Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone and ta’en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
Fear no more the frown o’ the great;
Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke;
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak;
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this and come to dust.
Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finish’d joy and moan;
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee and come to dust. WilliamShakespeare (1564-1616)
FUNERAL BLUES
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good. WHAuden (1907 – 1973)
HE HAS ACHIEVED SUCCESS
He has achieved success who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much:
who has enjoyed the trust of pure women,
the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
who has filled the niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it;
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others
and given the best he had.
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction. BessieA. Stanley, American poet
IN MEMORIAM A.H.H. (PARTXXVII)
I envy not in any moods,
The captive void of noble rage,
The linnet born within the cage,
That never knew the summer woods:
I envy not the beast that takes
His license in the field of time,
Unfetter’d by the sense of crime,
To whom a conscience never wakes;
Nor, what may count itself as blest,
The heart that never plighted troth
But stagnates in the weed of sloth;
Nor any want-begotten rest.
I hold it true, whate’er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
‘Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all. Alfred,Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate
LIFE
Life, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall?
Rapidly, merrily
Life’s sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly!
What though Death at times steps in
And calls our best away?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O’er hope, a heavy sway?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell fear! CharlotteBronte (1816 – 1855)
SILENT TEAR
Each night we shed a silent tear,
As we speak to you in prayer.
To let you know we love you,
And just how much we care.
Take our million teardrops,
Wrap them up in love,
Then ask the wind to carry them,
To you in heaven above. Unknown
SHE 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.
David Harkins
Note: read at the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
REMEMBER ME
Remember Me:
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 be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore, gazing at a beautiful sea – remember me.As you look in awe at a mighty forest and its grand majesty – remember me.As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity – remember me.Remember me in your heart, your thoughts, 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 be gone.
Margaret Mead (1901 – 1978)
SUCCESS
To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent persons
And the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
And to endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a little better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch
Or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
And sung with exultation;
To know that even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived –
This is to have succeeded. RalphWaldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)
THE CLOCK OF LIFE IS WOUND BUT ONCE
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 one’s health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.
The present 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
THE NEW LIFE’S SALUTATION
Life, we’ve been long together
Through pleasant and through cloudy weather;
‘Tis hard to part when friends are dear,
Perhaps ’twill cost a sigh, a tear;
Then steal away, give little warning,
Choose thine own time:
Say not “Good night,” but in some brighter clime
Bid me “Good morning.” Anna Barbauld (1743 – 1825)
THE SOLDIER
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust that England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by the suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts of England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven. RupertBrooke (1887 – 1915)
TIS ONLY WE WHO GRIEVE
Tis only we who grieve
They do not leave
They are not gone
They look upon us still
They walk among the valleys now
They stride upon the hill
Their smile is in the summer sky
Their grace is in the breeze
Their memories whisper in the grass
Their calm is in the trees
Their light is in the winter snow
Their tears are in the rain
Their merriment runs in the brook
Their laughter in the lane
Their gentleness is in the flowers
They sigh in autumn leaves
They do not leave
They are not gone
Tis only we who grieve
If only we could see the splendour of the land
To which our loved ones are called from you and me
We’d understand
If only we could hear the welcome they receive
From old familiar voices all so dear
We would not grieve, If only we could know the reason why they went
We’d smile and wipe away the tears that flow
And wait content. Anon
TURN AGAIN TO LIFE
If I should die and leave you here a while,
be not like others sore undone, who keep
long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake – turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine
and I, perchance may therein comfort you. MaryLee Hall
Note: read at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
WE REMEMBER HIM (WE REMEMBER HER)
When we are weary and in need of strength,
When we are lost and sick at heart,
We remember him.
When we have a joy we crave to share
When we have decisions that are difficult to make
When we have achievements that are based on his
We remember him.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter
At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring,
We remember him.
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer
At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
We remember him.
At the rising of the sun and at its setting,
We remember him. As long as we live, he too will live
For he is now a part of us, As we remember him.
Adapted from the Yizkor Service
THE WORLD’S GREATEST NEED
A little kindness and a little less greed;
A little more giving and a little less need;
A little more smile and a little less frown;
A little less kicking a man when he’s down;
A little more ‘we’ and a little less ‘I’;
A little more laughs and a little less cry;
A little more flowers on the pathway of life;
And fewer on graves at the end of the strife. CAustin Miles (1868 – 1956)
TIME WILL EASE THE HURT
The sadness of the present days
Is locked and set in time,
And moving to the future
Is a slow and painful climb.
But all the feelings that are now
So vivid and so real
Can’t hold their fresh intensity
As time begins to heal.
No wound so deep will ever go
Entirely away;
Yet every hurt becomes
A little less from day to day.
Nothing else can erase the painful
Imprints on your mind;
But there are softer memories
That time will let you find.
Though your heart won’t let the sadness
Simply slide away,
The echoes will diminish
Even though the memories stay. BruceWilmer
FEEL NO GUILT IN LAUGHTER
Feel no guilt in laughter, he’d know how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile that he is not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever; he would not want you to.
He’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour or a day,
That brings him back as clearly as though he were still here,
And fills you with the feeling that he is always near.
For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And he will live forever locked safely within your heart. Unknown
FAREWELL MY FRIENDS
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
Save the pain I’ll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care…
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul…
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell, my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
For that’s what I’ll like when you live in the hearts
Of those you love, remember then
You never die. GitanjaliGhei (1961 – 1977)
HE IS GONE (REMEMBER ME)
You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he lived,
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left.
Your heart can be empty because youcan’t see him
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 him and only that heis gone
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on,
You can cry and close your mind be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes,
love and go on. DavidHarkins
I WILL BE THERE
There was no time to say goodbye
But this I ask – please do not cry
Remember me as you think best
The happy time – forget the rest.
Look for me and I’ll be there
And you will find me everywhere
In the gentle touch of breeze
That cools the skin or swirls the leaves.
In the scent and colour of flowers
That gave to me such happy hours
On sunny days under sunny skies of blue
Just think of me, I’ll be with you.
In winter when there’s cloud or mist
The rain will give to you my kiss
As wood smoke lingers in the air
Look for me and I’ll be there.
Where seagulls cry above the sea
And surf rolls in so endlessly
Among towering trees that soar above
In all these things that i once loved
Look for me and I’ll be there
You’ll feel my presence everywhere. Unknown
MEMORIES IN THE HEART
Feel no guilt in laughter, she knows how much you care
Feel no sorrow in a smile that she’s not here to share
You cannot grieve forever, she would not want you to
She’d hope that you can carry on, the way you always do
So talk about the good times and the ways you showed you cared
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared
Let memories surround you.
A word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour, a day
That brings her back as clearly as though she were still here
And fills you with the feelings that she is always near
For if you keep these moments, you will never be apart
And she will live forever locked safe within your heart Unknown
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
HIGH FLIGHT
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through the footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high un-trespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
John Gillespie Magee Jr (1922 – 1941)
HIS JOURNEY’S JUST BEGUN
Don’t think of him as gone away
his journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of 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 he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched…for nothing loved is ever lost
and he was loved so much. Ellen Brenneman
I FELT AN ANGEL
I felt an angel near today, though one I could not see
I felt an angel oh so close, sent to comfort me
I felt an angel’s kiss, soft upon my cheek
And oh, without a single word of caring did it speak
I felt an angel’s loving touch, soft upon my heart
And with that touch, I felt the pain and hurt within depart
I felt an angel’s tepid tears, fall softly next to mine
And knew that as those tears did dry, a new day would be mine
I felt an angel’s silken wings enfold me with pure love
And felt a strength within me grow, a strength sent from above
I felt an angel oh so close, though one I could not see
I felt an angel near today, sent to comfort me. Anonymous
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. Anon
AWAY
I cannot say and I will not say
That she is dead, she is just away.
With a cheery smile and a wave of hand
She has wandered into an unknown land;
And left us dreaming how very fair
Its needs must be, since she lingers there.
And you-oh you, who the wildest yearn
From the old-time step and the glad return-
Think of her faring on, as dear
In the love of there, as the love of here
Think of her still the same way, I say;
She is not dead, she is just away. James Whitcomb Riley (1849 – 1916)
I’LL LEND YOU A CHILD
“I’ll lend you for a little time a child of Mine.” He said.“For you to love the while he lives
And mourn for when he’s dead.
It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you, till I call him back,
Take care of him for Me?”
He’ll bring his charms to gladden you,
And should his stay be brief
You’ll have his lovely memories
As solace for your grief.”
“I cannot promise he will stay
Since all from Earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.
I’ve looked the wide world over
In my search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life’s lanes
I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love,
Not think the labour vain,
Nor hate Me when I come to call
And take him back again.”
I fancied that I heard them say,
“Dear Lord, Thy will be done,
For all the joy Thy child shall bring,
The risk of grief we run.
We’ll shelter him with tenderness,
We’ll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we’ve known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him
Much sooner than we planned,
We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes
and try to understand.” Edgar Guest (1881 –1959)
THE BROKEN CHAIN
We little knew the day that
God was going to call your name.
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you didn’t go alone.
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories.
Your love is still our guide,
And though we cannot see you
You are always at our side.
Our family chain is broken
and nothing seems the same,
but as God calls us one by one
the chain will link again. Ron Tranmer
EPITAPH ON WILLIAM MUIR
An HONEST man here lies at rest,
As e’er God with his image blest;
the friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so informed;
If there is another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this. RobertBurns (1759 – 1796)
GOODNIGHT
Goodnight; ensured release,
Imperishable peace,
Have these for yours,
While sea abides, and land,
And earth’s foundations stand,
and heaven endures.
When earth’s foundations flee,
nor sky nor land nor sea
At all is found
Content you, let them burn:
It is not your concern;
Sleep on, sleep sound. A.E.Housman, poet (1859 – 1936)
REMEMBER
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894)
THERE IS NO DEATH
There is a plan far greater than the plan you know;
There is a landscape broader than the one you see.
There is a haven where storm – tossed souls may go-
You call it death – we, immortality.
You call it death – this seemingly endless sleep;
We call it birth – the soul at last set free.
‘Tis hampered not by time or space – you weep.
Why weep at death? ‘Tis immortality.
Farewell, dear Voyageur – ’twill not be long.
Your work is done – now may peace rest with thee.
Your kindly thoughts and deeds – they will live on.
This is not death – ’tis immortality.
Farewell, dear voyageur – the river winds and turns;
The cadence of your song wafts near to me,
And now you know the thing that all men learn:
There is no death – there’s immortality. Anonymous
THEY THAT LOVE BEYOND THE WORLD
They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it,
death cannot kill what never dies.
Nor can spirits ever be divided that love
and live in the same divine principle,
the root and record of their friendship.
If absence be not death, neither is theirs.
Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas;
they live in one another still.
For they must needs be present,
that love and live in that which is omnipresent.
In this divine glass, they see face to face;
and their converse is free as well as pure.
This is the comfort of friends,
that though they may be said to die,
yet their friendship and society are,
in the best sense, ever present, because immortal.
William Penn (1644 – 1718)
TO THOSE I LOVE
If I should ever leave you whom I love
To go along the Silent Way, grieve not,
Nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk
Of me as if I were beside you there,
(I’d come… I’d come, could I but find a way!
But would not tears and grief be barriers?)
And when you hear a song or see a bird I loved,
Please do not let the thought of me be sad…
For I am loving you just as I always have…
You were so good to me!
There are so many things I wanted still to do…
So many things to say to you…
Remember that I did not fear…
It was just leaving you that was so hard to face…
We cannot see Beyond… But this I know;
I loved you so…
‘Twas heaven here with you! IslaPaschal Richardson
WHEN I MUST LEAVE
When I must leave you for a while
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you through the years
But start out bravely with a gallant smile
And for my sake and in my name
Live on and do all the things the same
Feed not your loneliness on empty days
But fill each working hour in useful ways
Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer
And I in turn will comfort you and hold you near
And never, never be afraid to die
For I am waiting for you in the sky. Anonymous
HER SMILE
Though her smile is gone forever
and her hand I cannot touch
I still have so many memories
Of the one I loved so much.
Her memory is now my keepsake
Which with I’ll never part.
God has her in her keeping
I have her in my heart.
Sadly missed, but never forgotten. Unknown
IT WILL NEVER BE GOODBYE
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
HE IS NOT LOST OUR DEAREST LOVE
He is not lost our dearest love,
Nor has he travelled far,
Just stepped inside home’s loveliest room
And left the door ajar. Anonymous
WHEN TOMORROW STARTS WITHOUT ME
When tomorrow starts without me and I am not here to see
If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me
I know how much you love me as much as I love you
And each time you think of me I know you’ll miss me too.
But whentomorrow starts without me please try to understand
That Jesus came and called my name and took me by the hand.
He said my place is ready in heaven far above
And that I have to leave behind all those I dearly love.
But as Iturned to walk away a tear fell from my eye
For all my life I’d always thought it wasn’t my time to die.
I had so much to live for and so much yet to do
It seems almost impossible that I was leaving you.
I thoughtof all the yesterdays the good ones and the bad
I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had.
If I could have stayed for just a little while
I’d say goodbye and kiss you and maybe see you smile.
But thenI fully realize that this could never be
For emptiness and memories would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things that I’d miss come tomorrow
I thought of you and when I did my heart was filled with sorrow.
But when Iwalked through Heaven’s gate and felt so much at home
As God looked down and smiled at me from his great golden throne.
He said This is eternity And all I’ve promised you
Today your life on earth is past but here it starts anew.
I promiseno tomorrow but today will always last
And since each day’s the same here there’s no longing for the past.
So when tomorrow starts without me don’t think we’re far apart,
For every time you think of me I’m right here in your heart.
David M. Romano
SHOULD YOU GO FIRST
Should you go first and I remain
to walk the road alone
I’ll live in memory’s garden, dear
with happy days we’ve known
in Spring I’ll wait for roses red,
when fades the lilacs blue,
in early fall, when brown leaves call
I’ll catch a glimpse of you
Shouldyou go first, and I remain
for battles to be fought,
each thing you’ve touched along the way
will be a hallowed spot
I’ll hear your voice;
I’ll see your smile,
though blindly I may grope
the memory of your helping hand
will buoy me on with hope
Shouldyou go first and I remain
to finish with the scroll,
no length’ning shadows ahall creep in
to make this life seem droll
We’ve known so much of happiness
we’ve had our cup of joy,
and memory is one gift of God
that death cannot destroy
Shouldyou go first and I remain,
one thing I’d have you do;
walk slowly down that long, lone path,
for soon I’ll follow you
I’ll want to know each step you take
that I may walk the same,
for some day down that lonely road
you’ll hear me call your name A.A. Rowswell
CLOSE THE GATE
For this one farmer the worries are over,
Lie down and rest your head
Your time has been and struggles enough, put the tractor in the shed.
Years were not easy, many downright hard, but your faith in God transcended,
Put away your tools and sleep in peace.
The fences have all been mended.
You raised a fine family, worked the land well and always followed the Son,
Hang up your shovel inside of the barn, your work here on earth is done.
A faith few possess led your journey through life, often a jagged and stony way
The sun is settling, the cattle are all bedded, and here now is the end of yourday.
Your love of God’s soil has passed onto your kin; the stories flow like fine wine,
Wash off your work boots in the puddle left by blessed rain one final time.
You always believed that the good Lord would provide and He always had somehow,
Takeoff your gloves and put them down, no more sweat and worry for you now.
Your labour is done, your home now is heaven; no more must you wait
Your legacy lives on, your love of the land, and we will close the gate
NancyKraayenhof
A SONG OF LIVING
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.I have run and leaped with the rain, I have taken the wind to my breast.My cheeks like a drowsy child to the face of the earth I have pressed.Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have kissed young love on the lips, I have heard his song to the end,I have struck my hand like a seal in the loyal hand of a friend.
I have known the peace of heaven, the comfort of work done well.
I have longed for death in the darkness and risen alive out of hell.Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I gave a share of my soul to the world, when and where my course is run.I know that another shall finish the task I surely must leave undone.I know that no flower, nor flint was in vain on the path I trod.
As one looks on a face through a window, through life I have looked on God,Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
Amelia Burr (1878 – 1968)
DEATH IS NOTHING AT ALL
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away 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 own familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way 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 we always 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 effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
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.
Nothing is past; 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!
Canon Henry Scott-Holland (1847 – 1918)
HAIL THE TRAVELLER
I commit you backfrom where you came
to the arms of your ancestors
may there be peace where there was anger
may there be healing where there was hurt.
Go to the place that your old ones called home.
For those who grieve for your passing;
let there be healing
For those who grieve for who you were;
let there be healing
For those who grieve for what you could have been;
let there be healing
Hail the traveller
POEM FOR A DIFFICULT LIFE
When I have cometo the end of my journey
And I travel my last weary mile,
Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned
And remember only the smile.
Forget unkind words I have spoken
Remember some good that I’ve done
Forget that I ever had heartache
And remember I had loads of fun.
Forget that I’ve stumbled and blundered
And sometimes fell by the way.
Remember that I have fought some hard battles,
Yet won at the end of the day.
Then forget to grieve for my going
I would not have you sad for a day
But in summer just gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay
And come in the shade of the evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best.
I AM NOT SLEEPING
I Am Not Sleeping
I don't want any of that
'We're gathered here today
to celebrate his life, not mourn his passing.'
Oh yes, you are. Get one thing straight,
you're not here to celebrate but to mourn until it hurts.
I want wailing and gnashing of teeth.
I want sobs, and I want them
uncontrollable. I want women
flinging themselves on the coffin
and I want them inconsolable.
Don't dwell on my past but on your future.
For what you see is what you'll be
and sooner than you think.
So, get weeping. Fill yourselves with dread.
For I am not sleeping. I am dead
Roger McGough, from That Awkward Age Roger McGough 2009.
THE OLD MAN’S FUNERAL (CAN BE ADAPTED TO OLD WOMAN)
The Old Man's Funeral
Note: This could of course be adapted for an older woman’s funeral too.
Ye sigh not when the sun, hiscourse fulfilled,
His glorious course, rejoicing earth and sky,
In the soft evening, when the winds are stilled,
Sinks where his islands of departure spread
O'er the warm-colored heaven and ruddy mountain head.
Why weep ye then for him, who, having won
The bound of man's appointed years, at last.
Life's blessings all enjoyed, life's labors done,
Serenely to his final rest has passed;
While the soft memory of his virtues yet
Lingers like twilight hues, when the bright sun is set?
—William Cullen Bryant
I Want You To Be Happy
by author unknown
I want you to be happy.
I want you to fill your heart with feelings of wonder and to be full of courage and hope.
I want you to have the type of friendship that is a treasure – and the kind of love that is beautiful forever.
I wish you contentment: the sweet, quiet, inner kind that comes around and never goes away.
I want you to have hopes and have them all come true.
I want you to have a real understanding of how unique and rare you truly are.
I want to remind you that the sun may disappear for a while, but it never forgets to shine.
May the words you listen to say the things you need to hear.
And may a cheerful face lovingly look back at you when you happen to glance in your mirror.
I wish you the insight to see your inner and outer beauty.
I wish you sweet dreams.
I want you to have times when you feel like singing and dancing and laughing out loud.
I want you to be able to make your good times better and your hard times easier to handle.
I wish I could find a way to tell you – in untold ways – how important you are to me.
Of all the things I’ll be wishing for, wherever you are and whatever I may do,
there will never be a day in my life when I won’t be wishing for the best… for you.
If by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when allabout you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
The Harley Ride
by Terry Scott Presgrove
The wind is blowing a glorious gale,
Goose bumps are dancing and drinking strong ale,
Happiness is smiling an awesome mile wide,
The heart is pole vaulting with ecstatic pride,
Laughter is echoing from deep down inside;
The reflection of a friend, securely, near by,
And always the roaring of the engine’s reply.
Bouquets of flowers, become a treasure trove
Of puppy breath mornings, inhaled through the nose.
Hours of riding make an aching butt scold,
But – soft sensual pillowing never gets old,
As sweet thing, inclining, takes atight hold,
And heart pounding accelerating,
Declares the adventurous soul bold!
Mother nature is boasting exhilarating forces.
Cavalry prances in formation as warrior horses,
Snorting in preparation for the colossal attack;
Absolutely no contemplation of a fall back;
The senses amplified in an adrenalin flood,
Envisioning ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’
On this magnificent, mighty-lunging, stud!
Bingo!
By Michael Ashby
My mum’s playing Bingo in heaven
With a happy smile on her face
If she’d known there was a Bingo hall in heaven
She’d have looked more forward to the place
Past 78 and heaven’s gate
It’s 83 and time for tea
With 61 and a baker’s bun
And no queue for the lavatory
After 41 and time for fun
She’s won with 54 and wiped the floor
I really do thank my lucky stars
My mum landed in heaven instead of on mars
When Great Trees Fall
By Maya Angelou
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker downing tall grasses,
and even elephant slumber after safety.
When great trees fallen forests, small things recoil into silence, their senses eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die, the air around us become slight, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly, see with a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened, examines, gnaws on kind words unsaid, promised walks never taken.
Great souls die and our reality, bound to them, takes leave of us.
Our souls, dependent upon their nurture, now shrink, wizened.
Ourminds, formed and informed by their radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened as reduced to the unutterable ignorance of dark, cold caves.
And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms, slowly and always irregularly.
Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.
I was loved, therefore I am by Ana Draper
I was loved, therefore I am
And in being loved, I am treasured
When I peeled away my layers
And all that was left was my essence
The bareness of me
I was still loved
I was loved, therefore I am
And in being loved, I was able to grow
In my mistakes, held
In my successes, celebrated
I was always loved
I was loved,therefore I am
And in being loved, I learned to love
In the sun filled day
In the ecstasy of the night
I was loved and loved others
To be loved is all you need
I was loved…..and so, I will always be
Farewell my friends – Rabindranath Tagore
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life
I have no regrets whatsoever, save the pain
I’ll leave behind
Those dear hearts who love and care
And the strings pulled at the heart and soul
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down
At every turning of my life
I came across good friends
Friends who stood by me
Even when the time raced me by
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye
No shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile
If you feel sad do think of me
For that’s what I’ll like
When you live in the hearts
Of those you love, remember then
You never die
I walk within you by Nicholas Evans
If I be the first of us to die
Let grief not blacken long your sky
Be bold yet modest in your grieving
There is change but not a leaving
For just as death is part of life
The dead live on forever in the living
For all the gathered riches of our journey
The moments shared, the mysteries explored,
The steady layer of intimacy stored
The things that made us laugh or weep or sing
The joy of sunlit snow or first unfurling of the spring
The wordless language of look and touch
The knowing, each giving and each taking
These are not flowers that fade
Nor trees that fall and crumble
Nor are they stone
For even stone cannot the wind and rain withstand
And mighty mountain peaks in time reduce to sand
What we were, we are
What we had, we have
A conjoined past imperishably present
So when you walk the woods where once we walked together
And scan in vain the dappled bank beside you for my shadow
Or pause where we always did upon the hill to gaze across the land (could change this to or pause where we always drove to, to gaze across the land)
And spotting something, each by habit for my hand
And finding none, feel sorrow start to steal upon you
Be still, Clear your eyes, Breathe
Listen for my foot fall in your heart
I am not gone but merely walk within you
The Dash Poem (By Linda Ellis)
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the 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 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 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 live and love
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 can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's 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've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering 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 spent YOUR dash?
Missing You At Christmas
By Author Unknown
There’s a little place within my heart
That is with me every day,
A place where all my memories
Are Softly tucked away.
It is the perfect place
In my grief for me to go,
For, words could not explain
How very much I miss you so.
And now that once again
Christmastime has come around.
It’s where the sweetest memories
And through of you are found.
We love you…. We miss you…
The Farmer
By Joy Allen
Quietly he said goodbye
A charmed gentle man,
Loving husband, father, brother and friend.
He walked many days upon farming land
Feeling most at home with a glowing farmer’s tan.
His humour was renown
His wit was quick
some even called him
King of country slap stick.
He tended his land with passion and pride
He especially loved animals
And creatures of all kind.
His family was his pride and joy
Loving Dad to charming two girls and a strapping boy.
He shared his bushcraft
And love of the land
And encouraged his family
To be the best that they can.
When times were tough he sheltered his clan
Instilling the virtues of giving
Being humble and resourceful
And respecting their precious land.
When he grew tired
He gathered his loved ones near
And said go forth, be happy
be healthy; live without fear.
His spirit will always live on
In generations of tomorrow –
So, let your memories most precious
shine through your sorrow.
What Is Success?
by Bessie Anderson Stanley
That Man is a Success
Who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of children;
Who has filled his niche
and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
whether by improved poppy, a perfect poem,
or a rescued soul;
Who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it.
Who looked for the best in others
and gave the best he had.
And finally, to know that even one life hasbreathed easier because you have lived;
This is success
A Family By unknown
A family is a place
To cry, and laugh and vent frustrations
To ask for help, to tease and yell
To be touched and hugged and smiled at.
A family is people who care when you are sad
Who love you no matter what
Who share your triumphs and don’t expect you to be perfect
Just growing with honesty in your own direction.
A family is a circle where we learn to like ourselves
Where we learn to make good decisions
Where we learn to think before we do
Where we learn patience and table manners
And respect for other people
A family is a place where we share ideas
Where we listen and are listened to –
Where we learn the rules of life to prepare us for the world.
The world is a place where anything can happen
And if we grow up in a loving family – We are ready for the world.
The Fallen Limb by Author Unknown
A limb has fallen from the family tree. I keep hearing a voice that says, “Grieve not for me. Remember the best times, the laughter, the song.The good life I lived while I was strong. Continue my heritage, I’m counting on you. Keep smiling and surely the sun will shine through. My mind is at ease, my soul is at rest. Remembering all, how I truly was blessed. Continue traditions, no matter how small. Go on with your life, don’t worry about falls. I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin .Until the day comes we’re together again
If you’re thinking about what kind of funeral you’d like and how you want to be remembered, please contact us to discuss your important decisions
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