Funeral Poems for Daughter

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 / Robert Richardson

Tread lightly, she is near Under the snow, Speak gently, she can hear The daisies grow. All her bright golden hair Tarnished with rust, She that was young and fair Fallen to dust. Lily-like, white as snow, She hardly knew She was a woman, so Sweetly she grew. Coffin-board, heavy stone, Lie on her breast, I vex my heart alone, She is at rest. Peace, peace, she cannot hear Lyre or sonnet, All my life's buried here, Heap earth upon it.

— Oscar Wilde

If tears could build a stairway And memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven And bring you home again.

— Unknown

I will 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, nor think the labour vain, Nor hate me when I come to call to 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'll 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'd planned, We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.

— Edgar A. Guest

Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

— Robert Frost

I'll lend you for a little while a child of mine, He said, For you to love the while she lives and mourn for when she's dead. It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three, But will you, till I call her back, take care of her for me? She'll bring her charms to gladden you, and should her stay be brief, You'll have her lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise she 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 her all your love, nor think the labour vain, Nor hate me when I come to call to take her 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'll run. We'll shelter her with tenderness, we'll love her while we may, And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay. But should the angels call for her much sooner than we'd planned, We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.

— Edgar A. Guest

An angel in the book of life Wrote down my baby's birth. Then whispered as she closed the book, "Too beautiful for earth."

— Unknown

Like a comet blazing 'cross the evening sky, Gone too soon. Like a rainbow fading in the twinkling of an eye, Gone too soon. Shiny and sparkly and splendidly bright, Here one day, gone one night. Like the loss of sunlight on a cloudy afternoon, Gone too soon. Like a castle built upon a sandy beach, Gone too soon. Like a perfect flower that is just beyond your reach, Gone too soon. Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight, Here one day, gone one night. Like a sunset dying with the rising of the moon, Gone too soon.

— Unknown

When tomorrow starts without me, and I'm not there to see, If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me, I wish so much you wouldn't cry the way you did today, While thinking of the many things we didn't get to say.

— David Romano

Copyright David Romano.

Surprised by joy — impatient as the Wind I turned to share the transport — Oh! with whom But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb, That spot which no vicissitude can find? Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind — But how could I forget thee? Through what power, Even for the least division of an hour, Have I been so beguiled as to be blind To my most grievous loss! — That thought's return Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn, Knowing my heart's best treasure was no more; That neither present time, nor years unborn Could to my sight that heavenly face restore.

— William Wordsworth

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam, And for a brief moment its glory and beauty Belong to our world. But then it flies on again, And though we wish it could have stayed, We feel so lucky to have seen it.

— Unknown

There were tiny footprints in heaven today, Where an angel got their wings. A precious soul had arrived up there Among such beautiful things. The angels gathered all around, And gently took their hand, And led them through the golden gates To a peaceful, promised land. Though their time on earth was brief, Their memory will live on, In every sunset, every star, In every breaking dawn. So when you see a butterfly Or hear a robin sing, Remember tiny footprints And an angel with new wings.

— Unknown

The world became a lesser place The day you went away, The sunshine lost a bit of warmth, The night lost one more ray. We held you close within our hearts From the moment you were born, And though our arms are empty now, Our love goes on and on. You brought such joy, such laughter bright, Such beauty to our days. We see you in the flowers now, In gentle summer haze. Our daughter, always in our thoughts, Forever in our prayer, We carry you within our souls— Your spirit's everywhere.

— Unknown

We are connected, my child and I, By an invisible cord not seen by the eye. It's not like the cord that connects us at birth— This cord can't be seen by anyone on earth.

— Lesley Regan

Copyright Lesley Regan.

When you see a star tonight, Shining way up high, Know it's me looking down on you, From my home up in the sky. I'm watching over you always, And though we're far apart, Know I'm right there beside you, Forever in your heart.

— Unknown

We never know how high we are Till we are called to rise; And then, if we are true to plan, Our statures touch the skies. The heroism we recite Would be a daily thing, Did not ourselves the cubits warp For fear to be a king.

— Emily Dickinson

You were the light within our home, The laughter in our days, The gentle voice, the tender touch, The warmth in countless ways. From your first breath you held our hearts, With every smile and tear, And though you've left this world of ours, We still feel you near. The flowers bloom a little less Since you have gone away, The birdsong lacks a certain note, The sky seems somehow grey. But in our hearts you'll always dance, Our beautiful, bright girl. You were the finest thing we knew In all this spinning world.

— Unknown

Though your time was brief, Your life was complete. You were loved from the start With every heartbeat. You taught us that love Needs no words to be spoken, That a bond can be whole Even when hearts are broken. You'll bloom in the garden We carry inside, Forever our baby, Forever our pride.

— Unknown

Don't remember me with sadness, Don't remember me with tears, Remember me with all the fun We shared throughout the years. Remember me for my bad jokes, The music that I played, Remember every birthday cake And every mess I made. Remember how I drove you mad With questions every day, But most of all remember this: I loved you all the way. So when you think about me, Please don't think about the end. Think of the laughter and the life Of your child, your child, your friend.

— Unknown

If I could write upon the sky, I'd spell your name up high, So all the world could look above And see my reasons why The stars shine just a little more, The moon is brighter too, The heavens must be beautiful Since they have welcomed you. I'd give the world to hold your hand And see your smiling face, But since I can't, I hold my heart And keep you in that place. Until we meet in heaven's light, I'll love you from below, My daughter, my forever star, My heart will always know.

— Unknown

She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the Universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.

— Nikita Gill

Copyright Nikita Gill. Published by Hachette.

When I see the brightest star Shining in the sky, I know that you are up there Watching from on high.

— Robyn O'Connell

Copyright Robyn O'Connell.