Funeral Poems for Sister

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 a 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, And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds. Miss me, but let me go.

— Christina Rossetti

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 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

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. I envy not in any moods The captive void of noble rage, The linnet born within the cage, That never knew the summer's woods: I envy not the beast that takes His licence 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 weeds 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, In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850)

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

Those we love don't go away, They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed, and very dear.

— Unknown

Of all the money that e'er I had, I spent it in good company. And all the harm that e'er I've done, Alas, it was to none but me. And all I've done for want of wit To memory now I can't recall; So fill to me the parting glass, Good night and joy be with you all. Oh, all the comrades that e'er I've had Are sorry for my going away. And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had Would wish me one more day to stay. But since it falls unto my lot That I should rise and you should not, I'll gently rise and I'll softly call, Good night and joy be with you all.

— Traditional Irish/Scottish

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. If I should go tomorrow I would want you to go on. To fill your life with joy and laughter, Even when I'm gone. Remember I will always be Beside you every day, And though you cannot see me, I'm never far away.

— Unknown

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

I cannot say, and I will not say That she is dead. She is just away! With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand, She has wandered into an unknown land, And left us dreaming how very fair It needs must be, since she lingers there. And you — oh you, who the wildest yearn For an 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 as the same. I say, She is not dead — she is just away!

— James Whitcomb Riley (adapted)

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

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.

— Rabindranath Tagore

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.

There is a time for everything, A time for joy, a time for sorrow, A time to hold on and a time to let go. There is a time for peace, A time for quiet reflection. Let today be a time to remember The love and the laughter we shared, To honour a life well lived, And to find comfort in one another.

— Traditional

Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die. I am the wind that shakes the trees, I am the snow on the mountain top, I am the sun reflecting off the ocean, I am the warm summer breeze. I am the stars that shine at night, I am the first bird to take flight. I am anything beautiful you can see, Because my spirit is now free. So do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die.

— Unknown

I measure every Grief I meet With narrow, probing, eyes — I wonder if It weighs like Mine — Or has an Easier size. I wonder if They bore it long — Or did it just begin — I could not tell the Date of Mine — It feels so old a pain — I wonder if it hurts to live — And if They have to try — And whether — could They choose between — It would not be — to die —

— Emily Dickinson

Side by side we walked through childhood, Sharing secrets, sharing dreams. You were always right beside me, Closer than the world could see. Side by side through teenage troubles, Laughing, fighting, standing tall. You were shield and sword together, Ready when I'd start to fall. Now I walk these roads without you, And the world feels far too wide. But I know you walk beside me still, Forever side by side.

— Unknown

You were my first phone call, My confidant, my mirror true, The one who knew my faults And loved me right on through. You braided hair and shared your clothes, You held my hand in storms, You were the calm within my chaos, The safest of safe forms. Now I reach for you in habit, And the silence answers back. But in my dreams, we're laughing still— Two sisters on the track. Sleep gently now, my dearest one, My sister and my friend. Our story has no final page; A sister's love won't end.

— Unknown

Sisters by chance, friends by choice, Two hearts, one shared voice. You knew my thoughts before I spoke, You laughed before I told the joke. We walked through life in step, in time, Your story woven into mine. And though you've crossed to distant shore, You're still my sister, evermore. I see you in my daughter's eyes, I hear you in the sea and skies, I feel you when the autumn calls— A sister's love never falls.

— 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.

A sister is a gift to the heart, A friend to the spirit, A golden thread to the meaning of life. She sees the first tear, catches it, And wipes it from your cheek. She's there through every storm, And never has to seek. She is your shared history, The keeper of your childhood, The one and only person Who lived what you lived through. A sister is forever, Not even death can part The golden thread that binds her Forever to your heart.

— Unknown

What is a sister? She is your mirror, Shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, And loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, Someone who knows when you are smiling even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defence attorney, Your personal press agent, Even your shrink. Some days, she is your reason for waking up. Some days, she is the reason you pull the covers over your head. A sister is a forever friend.

— Unknown

Half of me is missing now Since you have gone away. The half that knew my history, The half that made me play. The half that shared our parents' roof, The half that shared my name, The half that kept me grounded— Since you left, I'm not the same. But you're the half that taught me love Is bigger than goodbye. You're the half that proved to me That love will never die.

— Unknown

Where there once was light, Darkness now resides. But love shines through And forever abides. Though we walk in shadow, Love will lead us through, And every cherished memory Will keep me close to you.

— Unknown

My sister was a garden rare, With flowers that bloomed in sun and rain, She grew through joy and grew through pain, And made the world more fair. She was the keeper of my past, The one who knew me first and last, Who saw me clearly, loved me fast, Whose love was unsurpassed. Without her now the garden's still, But every flower she planted grows. In every kindness someone shows, I see my sister's will.

— Unknown

She was the keeper of my secrets, The guardian of my dreams. She held me when the world fell down And stitched apart my seams. She'd call me out when I was wrong, Then hold me all the same. No matter what I'd done or said, She'd always take the blame. A sister is a different thing From any other love— Half mirror, half best friend on earth, Half angel from above. And now she keeps the greatest secret: What lies beyond the veil. I trust she's there, as always, Getting ready for my tale.

— Unknown

In the garden of my heart, A flower grew so bright, My sister was that flower, My comfort and my light. She bloomed through every season, Through sunshine and through rain, Her petals soft with kindness, Her roots run deep with pain. Now though the flower has been taken From the garden where it grew, Its seeds are sown within me, And they blossom into you— Into her children, her laughter, The things she used to say. My sister lives in all of us, And blooms in us each day.

— Unknown