Non-Religious Funeral Poems

Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.

— Mary Elizabeth Frye

Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I, and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we still are. 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 shared together. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was, Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a 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 round the corner. All is well.

— Henry Scott-Holland

May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your fields And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

— Traditional Irish Blessing

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.

— W.H. Auden

Copyright W.H. Auden Estate. Published by Random House.

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

— Dylan Thomas

Copyright Dylan Thomas Estate. Published by New Directions.

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 Rossetti

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

— Biblical, KJV

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

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.

— Mary Elizabeth Frye

You can shed tears that he is gone Or you can smile because he has lived.

— David Harkins

Copyright David Harkins.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;

— E.E. Cummings

Copyright E.E. Cummings Trust. Published by Liveright Publishing.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

— Robert Frost

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st: So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

— William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnets

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)

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

— William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnets (1609)

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

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

— W.B. Yeats

Some things in life are bad, They can really make you sad, Other things just make you mad.

— Eric Idle / Monty Python

Copyright Eric Idle. From Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979).

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

You can shed tears that she is gone, Or you can smile because she has lived.

— David Harkins

Copyright David Harkins. Used with permission in many funeral settings.

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.

— Linda Ellis

Copyright Linda Ellis. All rights actively enforced. Permission required for use.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone." Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me -- not in her. And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!" And that is dying...

— Henry Van Dyke

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

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

— Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.

— Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Tennyson's final poem, written 1889

Only a dad with a tired face, Coming home from the daily race, Bringing little of gold or fame To show how well he has played the game; But glad in his heart that his own rejoice To see him come and to hear his voice. Only a dad with a brood of four, One of ten million men or more Plodding along in the daily strife, Bearing the whips and the scorns of life, With never a whimper of pain or hate, For the sake of those who at home await. Only a dad, neither rich nor proud, Merely one of the surging crowd, Toiling, striving from day to day, Facing whatever may come his way, Silent whenever the harsh condemn, And bearing it all for the love of them. Only a dad but he gives his all, To smooth the way for his children small, Doing with courage stern and grim The deeds that his father did for him. This is the line that for him I pen: Only a dad, but the best of men.

— Edgar A. Guest

If you can keep your head when all about 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!

— Rudyard Kipling

I cannot say, and I will not say That he is dead. He is just away! With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand, He has wandered into an unknown land, And left us dreaming how very fair It needs must be, since he lingers there. And you — oh you, who the wildest yearn For an old-time step, and the glad return, Think of him faring on, as dear In the love of There as the love of Here. Think of him still as the same. I say, He is not dead — he is just away!

— James Whitcomb Riley

If I were hanged on the highest hill, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! I know whose love would follow me still, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! If I were drowned in the deepest sea, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! I know whose tears would come down to me, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! If I were damned of body and soul, I know whose prayers would make me whole, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine!

— Rudyard Kipling

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.

— David M. Romano

Copyright David M. Romano Estate.

Though my soul may set in darkness, It will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too truly To be fearful of the night.

— Sarah Williams

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

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

— Unknown

We had a wonderful grandmother, One who never really grew old; Her smile was made of sunshine, And her heart was solid gold. Her eyes were as bright as shining stars, And in her cheeks fair roses you see; We had a wonderful grandmother, And that's what she'll always be. She had a kindly word for each And a smile for all she knew; She was generous, kind and thoughtful, With a heart as good as true. She was always there to guide us, With a gentle, loving hand; And now she's watching over us From that far and peaceful land.

— Unknown

You can shed tears that she is gone, Or you can smile because she has lived.

— David Harkins

Copyright David Harkins. Adapted for grandmother use.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says, 'There, she is gone.' Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. And, just at the moment when someone says, 'There, she is gone,' there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, 'Here she comes!' And that is dying...

— Henry Van Dyke

May the blessing of light be on you — Light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you Like a great peat fire, So that stranger and friend may come And warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, Like a candle set in the window of a house, Bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, May it beat upon your spirit And wash it fair and clean, And leave there a shining pool Where the blue of Heaven shines, And sometimes a star.

— Traditional Irish

Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the shining stars to you, Deep peace of the gentle night to you, Moon and stars pour their healing light on you, Deep peace of Christ the light of the world to you.

— Traditional Celtic / Fiona Macleod

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

Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze.

— Robert Hayden

Copyright Robert Hayden Estate. Published by Liveright Publishing.

When great trees fall, in forests small things are lost, beneath the heavy breathing, light is lost.

— Maya Angelou

Copyright Maya Angelou Estate. Published by Random House.

Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor — Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now — For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

— Langston Hughes

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.

— Christina Rossetti

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.

— Emily Dickinson

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

If I should go before the rest of you, Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone. Nor when I'm gone speak in a Sunday voice, But be the usual selves that I have known.

— Joyce Grenfell

Copyright Joyce Grenfell Estate.

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

— Jenny Joseph

Copyright Jenny Joseph Estate. Published by Souvenir Press.

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 yourselves, my friends, And share a drink or two. For I am sure you'll all agree — It's what I'd like to do. Don't worry about prior engagements, I won't be offended, you see. Just go ahead and cancel them all, And come and remember me. Don't stand on ceremony now. Make sure that you have fun. Remember I'm not really gone, I've just gone out to lunch. Pardon me for not getting up, I'd like to raise a toast. So please enjoy the party — It's the most I can do as your host.

— Unknown

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. No exorciser harm thee! Nor no witchcraft charm thee! Ghost unlaid forbear thee! Nothing ill come near thee! Quiet consummation have; And renowned be thy grave!

— William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act IV, Scene ii

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.

— William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act IV, Scene i

If I should die, think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to wander, A body of England's, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home. And think, this heart, all evil shed away, A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by 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.

— Rupert Brooke, 1914 and Other Poems (1915)

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up — for you the flag is flung — for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths — for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

— Walt Whitman

It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love — I and my Annabel Lee — With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that, long ago, In this kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea. The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me — Yes! — that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea) That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. But our love it was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older than we — Of many far wiser than we — And neither the angels in Heaven above Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling — my darling — my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea — In her tomb by the sounding sea.

— Edgar Allan Poe

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

— Walt Whitman

I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among the clouds above; Those that I fight I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love; My country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Kiltartan's poor, No likely end could bring them loss Or leave them happier than before. Nor law, nor duty bade me fight, Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, A lonely impulse of delight Drove to this tumult in the clouds; I balanced all, brought all to mind, The years to come seemed waste of breath, A waste of breath the years behind In balance with this life, this death.

— W.B. Yeats

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet's wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart's core.

— W.B. Yeats

I told you I was ill.

— Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan (d. 2002). Written in Irish on his gravestone as 'Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite.'

The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high. To-day, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay, And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose. Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut, And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honours out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man. So set, before its echoes fade, The fleet foot on the sill of shade, And hold to the low lintel up The still-defended challenge-cup. And round that early-laurelled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, And find unwithered on its curls The garland briefer than a girl's.

— A.E. Housman

When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, And slowly read, and dream of the soft look Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep; How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face; And bending down beside the glowing bars, Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled And paced upon the mountains overhead And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

— W.B. Yeats

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!

— Lord Byron

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

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.

— Unknown

When I come to the end of the day 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 too long, And not with your head bowed low. Remember the love that we once shared, Miss me, but let me go. For this is a journey that we all must take, And each must go alone. It's all a part of the Maker's plan, A step on the road to home. When you are lonely and sick of heart, Go to the friends we know, And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds. Miss me, but let me go.

— 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

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.

— Henry Van Dyke

Our father kept a garden, A garden of the heart; He planted all the good things That gave our lives their start. He turned us to the sunshine And encouraged us to dream, Fostering and nourishing The seeds of self-esteem. And when the winds and rain came, He protected us enough; But not too much because he knew We'd need to stand up tough. His constant good example Always taught us right from wrong; Markers for our pathway That will last a lifetime long. We are our father's garden, We are his legacy; Thank you, Dad, for everything You've done for our family.

— J. Allen Shaw

My father was no hero In a military way, He never wore a uniform Or earned a soldier's pay. He never fought in battles Or led a charge up hills, But he was there beside me Through all of life's small ills. He was a quiet hero In his unassuming way, He worked and saved and sacrificed To give us a better day. He taught us to be honest, To stand up straight and tall, And though he never sought the praise, He was the best of all.

— Edgar A. Guest

God made a wonderful mother, A mother who never grows old; He made her smile of the sunshine, And He moulded her heart of pure gold; In her eyes He placed bright shining stars, In her cheeks, fair roses you see; God made a wonderful mother, And He gave that dear mother to me.

— Unknown

Mother, you were just a girl, So many years ago. You had your loves and had your dreams.

— Dick Underwood

Copyright Dick Underwood.

I had a Mother who read to me Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea, Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth, "Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath. I had a Mother who read to me Tales of the Norsemen fierce and free, And I felt the thrill of the great, grey seas Rocking my dreams on my Mother's knees. I had a Mother who read to me Of lands beyond the purple sea, Where castles glittered in the sun, And each page turned was another one. Richer than I you can never be — I had a Mother who read to me.

— Strickland Gillilan

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky, Hundreds of shells on the shore together, Hundreds of birds that go singing by, Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather. Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn, Hundreds of bees in the purple clover, Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn, But only one mother the wide world over.

— 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)

An honest man here lies at rest, The friend of man, the friend of beast, If there is another world, he lives in bliss; If there is none, he made the best of this.

— Robert Burns

In the rising of the sun and in its going down, We remember them. In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, We remember them. In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring, We remember them. In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer, We remember them. In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn, We remember them. In the beginning of the year and when it ends, We remember them. When we are weary and in need of strength, We remember them. When we are lost and sick at heart, We remember them. So long as we live, they too shall live, For they are now a part of us, as we remember them.

— Sylvan Kamens & Jack Riemer

Life is eternal, and love is immortal, And death is only an horizon, And an horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.

— Bede Jarrett

A golden heart stopped beating, Hard-working hands at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best.

— Unknown

And just at the moment when someone says, 'There, she is gone,' There are other eyes watching her coming, And other voices ready to take up the glad shout, 'Here she comes!'

— Henry Van Dyke

You never said 'I'm leaving,' You never said 'goodbye.' You were gone before I knew it, And only God knew why.

— Lavina Reyes

Copyright Lavina Reyes.

A golden heart stopped beating, Busy hands now at rest. God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best.

— Unknown

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 circling 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.

— Clare Harner

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.

— Unknown

Say not in grief 'he is no more' But live in thankfulness that he was.

— Rabindranath Tagore

Death is not extinguishing the light; It is only putting out the lamp Because the dawn has come.

— Rabindranath Tagore

An honest man here lies at rest, The friend of man, the friend of beast, If there is another world, he lives in bliss; If there is none, he made the best of this.

— Robert Burns

Though we need to weep your loss, We also need to feel the freedom of your dance.

— John O'Donohue

Copyright John O'Donohue Estate.

On the day when The weight deadens on your shoulders And you stumble, May the clay dance to balance you.

— John O'Donohue

Copyright John O'Donohue Estate.

Death is not extinguishing the light; It is only putting out the lamp Because the dawn has come.

— Rabindranath Tagore

Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy; My sin was too much hope of thee, loved boy. Seven years thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay, Exacted by thy fate, on the just day. O could I lose all father now! for why Will man lament the state he should envy, To have so soon 'scaped world's and flesh's rage, And, if no other misery, yet age? Rest in soft peace, and asked, say, "Here doth lie Ben Jonson his best piece of poetry."

— Ben Jonson

The little toy dog is covered with dust, But sturdy and staunch he stands; And the little toy soldier is red with rust, And his musket moulds in his hands. Time was when the little toy dog was new, And the soldier was passing fair; And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue Kissed them and put them there. "Now, don't you go till I come," he said, "And don't you make any noise!" So, toddling off to his trundle-bed, He dreamt of the pretty toys; And, as he was dreaming, an angel song Awakened our Little Boy Blue — Oh! the years are many, the years are long, But the little toy friends are true! Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand, Each in the same old place — Awaiting the touch of a little hand, The smile of a little face; And they wonder, as waiting the long years through In the dust of that little chair, What has become of our Little Boy Blue, Since he kissed them and put them there.

— Eugene Field

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.

You never quite get over the loss of a father. You simply learn to navigate the world without him in it.

— Donna Ashworth

Copyright Donna Ashworth. From 'Loss' collection.

It was you who held me together, You who gave me strength, You who wrapped your love around me Like a sheltering wing.

— Maya Angelou

Copyright Maya Angelou Estate. Published by Random House.

The life that I have Is all that I have And the life that I have Is yours.

— Leo Marks

Copyright Leo Marks Estate.

When I die Give what's left of me away To children And old men that wait to die.

— Merrit Malloy

Copyright Merrit Malloy.

"Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you." "You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing."

— E.B. White, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (1952)

Copyright E.B. White Estate. Published by Harper & Brothers.

Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory — Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken. Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heaped for the beloved's bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.

— Percy Bysshe Shelley

I told you I was ill. Don't cry for me now, it's all a big joke. Smile, wave goodbye, and have a nice day.

— Spike Milligan

Copyright Spike Milligan Estate.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow. Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest!

— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene ii

Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come.

— William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene ii

The fountains mingle with the river And the rivers with the ocean, The winds of heaven mix for ever With a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single; All things by a law divine In one spirit meet and mingle. Why not I with thine? — See the mountains kiss high heaven And the waves clasp one another; No sister-flower would be forgiven If it disdained its brother; And the sunlight clasps the earth And the moonbeams kiss the sea: What is all this sweet work worth If thou kiss not me?

— Percy Bysshe Shelley

At the last, tenderly, From the walls of the powerful fortress'd house, Let me be wafted. Let me glide noiselessly forth; With the key of softness unlock the locks — with a whisper, Set ope the doors O soul. Tenderly — be not impatient, (Strong is your hold O mortal flesh, Strong is your hold O love.)

— Walt Whitman

Let's drink to the dead already, And hurrah for the next that dies!

— Traditional Irish

There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold; The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge I cremated Sam McGee.

— Robert W. Service

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

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art— Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night And watching, with eternal lids apart, Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite, The moving waters at their priestlike task Of pure ablution round earth's human shores, Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask Of snow upon the mountains and the moors— No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable, Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

— John Keats

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, a day, That brings him back as clearly as though he were still here, And fills you with the feelings 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

A life well lived is a precious gift Of hope and strength and grace, From someone who has made our world A brighter, better place. It's filled with moments, sweet and sad, With smiles and sometimes tears, With friendships formed, and good times shared, And laughter through the years. A life well lived is a legacy Of joy and pride and pleasure, A living, breathing memory Of our never-ending treasure.

— Unknown

His love was unending, his patience sublime, Those powerful hands that held us through time.

— Karen Boyer

Copyright Karen Boyer.

She always leaned to watch for us, Anxious if we were late, In winter by the window, In summer by the gate; And though we mocked her tenderly, Who had such foolish care, The long way home would seem more safe Because she waited there. Her thoughts were all so full of us, She never could forget! And so I think that where she is She must be watching yet, Waiting till we come home to her, Anxious if we are late — Watching from Heaven's window, Leaning from Heaven's gate.

— Margaret Widdemer

Our Mum is such a special word, The one we love the most. Her name is always on our lips, The one we love to boast. She helped us through so many things And always understood. She tried so hard to guide us right, To make our lives so good. She kept us safe within her arms And wiped away our tears. She filled our hearts with so much joy Throughout our growing years. Although we'll miss her more than words Could ever hope to say, Our Mum will live within our hearts And that is where she'll stay.

— Unknown

Your mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street.

— Jane Jenkins Herlong

Copyright Jane Jenkins Herlong.

A wife, a mother, a grandma too, This is the legacy we have from you. You taught us love and how to fight, You gave us strength, you gave us might. A stronger person would be hard to find, And in your heart, you were always kind. You fought for us all in one way or another, Not just as a wife, not just as a mother. For all of us you gave your best, Now the time has come for you to rest. So go in peace, you've earned your sleep, Your love in our hearts, we'll eternally keep.

— Unknown

A wife, a mother, a grandma too, This is the legacy we have from you. You taught us love and how to fight, You gave us strength, you gave us might. A stronger person would be hard to find, And in your heart, you were always kind. You fought for us all in one way or another, Not just as a wife, not just as a mother. For all of us you gave your best, And now the time has come for you to rest. So go in peace, you've earned your sleep, Your love in our hearts, we'll eternally keep.

— Unknown

Grandma's hands clapped in church on Sunday morning, Grandma's hands played a tambourine so well. Grandma's hands used to issue out a warning, She'd say, "Billy, don't you run so fast, Might fall on a piece of glass, Might be snakes there in that grass." Grandma's hands. Grandma's hands soothed a local unwed mother, Grandma's hands used to ache sometimes and swell. Grandma's hands used to lift her face and tell her, She'd say, "Baby, Grandma understands That you really love that man, Put yourself in Jesus' hands." Grandma's hands. Grandma's hands used to hand me piece of candy, Grandma's hands picked me up each time I fell. Grandma's hands, boy, they really came in handy. She'd say, "Matty, don't you whip that boy, What you want to spank him for? He didn't drop no apple core." But I don't have Grandma anymore. If I get to heaven I'll look for Grandma's hands.

— 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

Don't think of him as gone away — His journey's just begun. Life holds so many facets — This earth is only one.

— Ellen Brenneman

Copyright Ellen Brenneman.

Do not hurry as you walk with grief; It does not help the journey. Walk slowly, pausing often: Do not hurry as you walk with grief. Be not disturbed by memories that come unbidden. Swiftly or slowly, they will come. Be gentle with the one who walks with grief. If some days you cannot go on, do not worry. It is the road itself that teaches the next step. When you walk with grief It is always one step at a time. Do not hurry as you walk with grief; Be gentle with yourself along the way.

— Unknown (Celtic tradition)

Not how did he die, but how did he live? Not what did he gain, but what did he give?

— Summer Sandercox

Copyright Summer Sandercox.

Thanks for all the things you've done, Thanks for all the battles won, Thanks for all the times you cared, Thanks for every tear you shared. Thanks for teaching me to walk, Thanks for listening when I'd talk, Thanks for always being near, Thanks for wiping every tear. Thanks for all the love you gave, Thanks for being strong and brave, Thanks for all the things you'd do, Thanks, Dad, for just being you.

— Unknown

I am my Father's garden, I am his legacy, The seeds he sowed within my heart Are all I'll ever need. He taught me how to weather storms And stand up straight and tall, His love the sun that kept me warm Through winter, spring and fall. I am my Father's garden, His work of art, his pride, And though he's gone from here today His love has not yet died.

— Unknown

Weep not for me though I have gone Into that gentle night. Grieve if you will, but not for long Upon my soul's sweet flight. I am at peace, my soul's at rest, There is no need for tears. For with your love I was so blessed For all those many years. There is no pain, I suffer not, The fear is now all gone. Put now these things out of your thoughts; In your memory I live on. Remember not my fight for breath, Remember not the strife. Please do not dwell upon my death But celebrate my life.

— Unknown

There's magic in a Mother's touch, And sunshine in her smile. There's love in everything she does, To make our lives worthwhile. You can see her gentle beauty In the kindness that she shows, A tender hugging warm embrace That everybody knows. She's the inspiration of our lives, She's the heart of all we do. With every bit of love she gives, She makes our world brand new.

— Unknown

I am my Mother's garden, I am her legacy, The seeds she sowed within my heart Are all I'll ever need. She taught me how to love the world, To see the good in all, Her gentle words still guide me Whenever shadows fall. I am my Mother's garden, Her love blooms on in me, And though she's gone from here today Her spirit sets me free.

— Unknown

From the moment of my birth Those hands that rocked the cradle Were the finest things on earth. They held me close and kept me safe, They wiped away my tears, They soothed my hurts and calmed my fears Across the growing years. Those gentle hands that guided me Through all my childhood days, That taught me, held me, lifted me In oh so many ways. Now those dear hands are still at last, But this I know is true: The love those hands once gave to me Will last my whole life through.

— Unknown

Farewell to thee! But not farewell To all my fondest thoughts of thee: Within my heart they still shall dwell; And they shall cheer and comfort me. O, beautiful, and full of grace! If thou hast never met mine eye, I had not dreamed a living face Could fancied charms so far outvie. If I may ne'er behold again That form and face so dear to me, Nor hear thy voice, still I'd retain The memory of what used to be.

— Anne Bronte

Nan had a special garden, Where love and kindness grew, She tended it with patience The way that she tended you. She planted seeds of happiness, And watched them bloom with care, Her garden was a special place With beauty everywhere. Now Nan has gone to tend a garden In a land far, far away, But the flowers that she planted here Will bloom for us each day.

— Unknown

When God made grandmothers He made them sweet and kind, He gave them gentle natures And a warm and loving mind. He gave them hearts of patience That could soothe a child's small fears, And hands so soft and tender That could wipe away the tears. He gave them eyes of wisdom To see beyond what others see, And arms that always opened wide With room upon their knee. When God made grandmothers He made a special friend, Whose love would know no boundaries And whose faith would never end.

— Unknown

I remember Grandma's kitchen, The warmth and all the love, The smell of something baking That only she could make. The table always ready With a place set just for me, A cup of tea and biscuits, The way it used to be. I'd give the world to sit once more In Grandma's cosy chair, To feel her arms around me And know that she was there. But now she bakes in heaven With angels by her side, And I can still feel her love Forever as my guide.

— Unknown

When I am alone in my room at night, I hear your voice and feel your light. The pillow beside me, empty and cold, But the love we shared will never grow old. You were my world, my heart, my soul, The one who made my life feel whole. And though you've gone beyond my sight, You are my morning, noon and night. I'll carry you with me everywhere, In every breath and every prayer. Until we meet again someday, You're in my heart, and there you'll stay.

— Unknown

We are here to celebrate your life And the measure of its worth, The joy you brought to all of us During your time upon this earth. You were always there to lend a hand, A shoulder or an ear, To share a joke, to share a laugh, To be a friend so dear. It's been a privilege to have known you. We were family, not just friends. And your warmth and love and laughter Will shine on till time itself ends.

— Unknown

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.

— Unknown

When you lose someone you love, Your life becomes strange.

— John O'Donohue

Copyright John O'Donohue Estate. From 'To Bless the Space Between Us.'

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

We thought of you with love today, But that is nothing new. We thought about you yesterday And days before that too. We think of you in silence And often speak your name. Now all we have are memories And your picture in a frame. Your memory is our keepsake With which we'll never part. God has you in his keeping, We have you in our hearts. The special years will not return When we were all together, But with the love within our hearts You'll walk with us forever.

— 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.

Grandpa's hands were rough and worn, From years of honest toil. They built the fences, fixed the gates, And worked the stubborn soil. Grandpa's hands could hold a child With tenderness and care, Could wipe away the falling tears, Could stroke dishevelled hair. Grandpa's hands could tell a story Just by how they moved— The wave, the pat, the gentle squeeze, A language that was grooved. And now those hands are laid to rest, Their long day's labour through. But the things those hands built for us Will last our whole lives through.

— Unknown

A father sees his son nearing manhood. What shall he tell that son? "Life is hard; be steel; be a rock." And he will be hard, and he will be a rock. And then the boy will not be soft enough to know love, and to feel the earth quicken. A father sees his son nearing manhood. What shall he tell that son? "Life is short; be hard; be tough." And he will be tough and hard. And he will never know the softness of love, the singing in the rain on the roof above. A father sees his son nearing manhood. What shall he tell that son? Tell him too much money has killed men, and left them dead years before burial; Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted. Tell him to be a fool every so often and to have no shame over having been a fool yet learning something out of every folly. Tell him to be alone often and get at himself and above all tell himself no lies about himself.

— Carl Sandburg

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 a change but not a leaving.

— Nicholas Evans

Copyright Nicholas Evans Estate.

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

— Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Copyright Oriah Mountain Dreamer. Published by HarperOne.

"Isn't it a bit unpleasant to be made of something that can simply get up and walk away from you at any moment?" said Mole. "No," said the Rat, gazing lovingly at the old boat. "For what gives life its value is that some day it will end. Some day, one day, we shall all leave this riverside, one by one. But the memory of the river, and the friends we made here, and the sunshine and the willows — those memories will last forever." "Then I shan't mind leaving," said Mole quietly. "No," agreed the Rat. "You won't mind at all."

— Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)

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 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.

— Amelia Josephine Burr

Happy the man, and happy he alone, He who can call today his own: He who, secure within, can say, Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today. Be fair or foul or rain or shine The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine. Not Heaven itself upon the past has power, But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

— John Dryden

Don't lay me in some gloomy churchyard shaded by a wall Where the dust of ancient bones has spread a spectre over all.

— Pam Ayres

Copyright Pam Ayres.

With these hands I've painted walls, Cleaned up after meals and falls, Washed the dishes, wiped the floors, Polished handles, painted doors.

— Pam Ayres

Copyright Pam Ayres.

She'd say, 'sit down, love, have a cup of tea,' And somehow make the whole world right. She solved the problems of the universe With a biscuit and a cuppa every night.

— Michael Ashby

Copyright Michael Ashby.

Life is a jest, and all things show it. I thought so once, and now I know it. My own epitaph.

— John Gay

Good-bye my fancy! Farewell dear mate, dear love! I'm going away, I know not where, Or to what fortune, or whether I may ever see you again, So good-bye my fancy. Now for my last — let me look back a moment; The slower fainter ticking of the clock is in me, Exit, nightfall, and soon the heart-thud stopping. Long have we lived, joy'd, caress'd together; Delightful! — now separation — Good-bye my fancy. Yet let me not be too hasty, Long indeed have we lived, slept, filter'd, become really blended into one; Then if we die we die together, (yes, we'll remain one,) If we go anywhere we'll go together to meet what happens, Good-bye — and hail! my fancy.

— Walt Whitman

Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. I am the thousand winds that blow... Actually, forget that, I'm watching the football.

— Unknown

I've lived between the dates upon my stone, And trust me, that dash was quite a ride. I laughed too loud, I loved too much, I took it all in my stride. I burned the dinner more than once, Forgot where I put the keys, But I lived that little dash with flair And did just what I pleased.

— 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

Many the wonders I this day have seen: The sun, when first he kissed away the tears That filled the eyes of Morn; — the laurelled peers Who from the feathery gold of evening lean; — The ocean with its vastness, its blue green, Its ships, its rocks, its caves, its hopes, its fears, — Its voice mysterious, which whoso hears Must think on what will be, and what has been. E'en now, dear George, while this for you I write, Cynthia is from her silken curtains peeping So scantly, that it seems her bridal night, And she her half-discover'd revels keeping. But what, without the social thought of thee, Would be the wonders of the sky and sea?

— John Keats

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

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.

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

I might have been rich if I'd wanted the gold Instead of the friendships I've made. I might have had fame if I'd sought for renown In the hours when I purposely played. Now I'm standing today on the far edge of life, And I'm just looking backward to see What I've done with the years and the days that were mine, And all that has happened to me. I haven't built much of a fortune to leave To those who shall carry my name, And nothing I've done shall entitle me now To a place on the tablets of fame. But I've loved the great mountains, the fields and the streams, And I've loved every flower that grows. I've savoured the fragrance of newly mown hay And watched every sunset that glows.

— Edgar A. Guest

I often contemplate my childhood days, Remembering all the good times that we had, And it occurs to me in many ways How very blessed I was to have you, Mum.

— Joanna Fuchs

Copyright Joanna Fuchs.

Just close your eyes and you will see All the memories that you have of me. Just sit and relax and you will find I'm really still there inside your mind.

— Gaynor Llewellyn

Copyright Gaynor Llewellyn.

What though the radiance which was once so bright Be now for ever taken from my sight, Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower; We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind; In the primal sympathy Which having been must ever be; In the soothing thoughts that spring Out of human suffering; In the faith that looks through death, In years that bring the philosophic mind.

— William Wordsworth, Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

There are friends who walk beside us, Who brighten up our days, Who fill our lives with laughter, With love, in countless ways. And when we lose a friendship That meant the world and more, We know that special person Is just beyond the door. Waiting for us somewhere, In a place that's free from pain, Where one day we'll be together And share our laughs again.

— Unknown

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

May the sun bring you new energy by day, May the moon softly restore you by night, May the rain wash away your worries, May the breeze blow new strength into your being. May you walk gently through the world and know Its beauty all the days of your life. May you go now in peace, In the knowledge that you were greatly loved And that you made a difference.

— Unknown (Apache tradition)

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

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

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 weaker hearts than thine. Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine And I, perchance, may therein comfort you.

— A. Price Hughes

A father's love is forever imprinted On his children's hearts, A guiding light that never dims Even when the world grows dark. He taught us strength through gentle hands, He showed us love through deeds, His legacy lives on in us, In every word and deed. Though we cannot hold him now, His spirit carries on, A father's love is never lost— It lives forever on.

— Unknown

Don't weep at my grave, For I am not there, I've a date with a butterfly To dance in the air. I'll be singing in the sunshine, Wild and free, Playing across the wind, Being part of the sea. So dry your eyes and remember my laugh, The good times we had, And know that I loved you More than words ever said.

— Unknown

She was our mum, our world, our heart, She was there right from the start. She held us close and kept us safe, Her love, a warm and sacred place. She taught us how to laugh and love, A gift sent from the stars above. And though she's gone, she's always near, Her voice, her love, forever here.

— Unknown

O mother-my-love, if you'll give me your hand, And go where I ask you to wander, I will lead you away to a beautiful land— The Dreamland that's waiting out yonder. We'll walk in a sweet-posied garden out there Where moonlight and starlight are streaming, And the flowers and the birds are filling the air With the fragrance and music of dreaming. There'll be no little tired-out boy to undress, No questions or cares to perplex you; There'll be no little bruises or bumps to caress, Nor patching of stockings to vex you. For I'll rock you away on a silver-dew stream And sing you asleep when you're weary, And no one shall know of our beautiful dream But you and your own little dearie.

— Eugene Field

She was our Nan, our world, our heart, She was there right from the start, She held us close and kept us safe, Her love, a warm and sacred place. She taught us how to laugh and play, She made the world a better day, And though she's gone, she's always near, Her memory, forever dear.

— Unknown

Without you there's no sunrise, Without you there's no day, Without you there's no laughter, Since you have gone away. Without you there's no evening, No stars up in the sky, Without you there's just emptiness, And all I do is cry. But somewhere deep within my heart Your love still lights the way, And I know we'll be together Again some other day.

— Unknown

You were my rock, my strength, my guide, My shelter from the storm. You were the one who held me close And kept my heart so warm. You were my smile on cloudy days, My laughter and my light. My hand to hold through everything, My morning, noon and night. And though you've gone from here today, Your love remains so true, For everything I am, my love, Is all because of you.

— Unknown

I can't believe you're really gone, My love, my heart, my soul. Without you here, my world has changed, No longer feeling whole.

— Unknown

Modern poem with various attributions.

I have not known the kind of friend Who walks with you through sun and rain, Who shares your joy, who soothes your pain.

— Grace Noll Crowell

Copyright likely applies. Grace Noll Crowell d. 1969.

Don't cry for me now I have died, For I'm still here, right by your side. My body's gone but my soul is here, Just talk to me, I'll always hear. I'll watch you from the other side, I'll be the one to be your guide. So dry your eyes and don't be sad, Remember the good times that we had.

— Unknown

You were a son like no other, Strong and kind and true. The world was richer for the time That it was shared with you. You had a laugh that filled the room, A heart that knew no bounds, And everywhere you walked in life, You left love on the ground. We were not ready for goodbye, We wanted so much more— More days, more nights, more of the light You brought through every door. But what you gave in your short time Will last our whole lives through. No finer son has ever lived— The world was blessed by you.

— Unknown

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

You were my brother from the start, My first and truest friend, The one who shared my childhood games, The one on whom I'd depend. We fought like only brothers can, And laughed the way they do. The bond between us needed no words— We always somehow knew. Now that you've journeyed on ahead, I feel the silence where you were. The house is still, the phone won't ring, The world's become a blur. But I carry every memory, Every joke, every shared disgrace. My brother, my first friend in life, No one can take your place.

— Unknown

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

Not just my brother, but my friend, You stood beside me till the end. In life you showed me what was true, No finer brother the world ever knew. Your strength was quiet, sure and deep, A thousand promises you'd keep. Your word was bond, your hand was steady, For those you loved, you were always ready. The world is darker since you've gone, But your light within us carries on. Sleep well, dear brother, rest at last— We'll hold you close until we've passed.

— 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

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

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

The old man sat in his favourite chair, With his paper and his pipe. He'd seen the world change fifty times And weathered every gripe. He'd tell you stories from the war, From factories and farms, And every grandchild knew the safety Of his weathered arms. He wasn't much for fancy words, He showed his love through deeds— A shed repaired, a fence rebuilt, A garden free of weeds. The chair sits empty now, the pipe is cold, The paper's left unread. But everything he built endures, And everything he said.

— Unknown

A grandfather's love is a steady thing, Like an oak tree, old and tall. It shelters you through every storm And catches you each time you fall. He tells the tales you've heard before, But still you listen through, Because his voice is home itself, The safest place you knew. His pockets always held a sweet, His eyes a knowing gleam. He made you feel that you could be The hero of your dream. And now the tree stands bare of leaf, Its branches touch the sky. But deep within its roots remain— A grandfather's love won't die.

— Unknown

When I was small and full of wonder, Grandpa walked with me. He showed me how to skip a stone And climb the tallest tree. He taught me how to bait a hook, To tell a north-blown sky, To find the constellations, And to never be too shy. When I grew tall and thought I knew it all, Grandpa walked with me. He let me lead, but kept me safe, As wise as he could be. Now I walk with his memory, And hear him in the breeze. My grandfather still walks with me Through forests, fields and trees.

— Unknown

She was the morning in my day, The autumn in my year, The gentle hand upon my back, The voice I longed to hear. She was the calm within my storm, The laughter in my dark, The reason every fire I lit Still carried one bright spark. She made a palace of our home, A kingdom of our love. She turned our ordinary days To something far above. My wife, my love, my life, my all— Though death has come between, No distance dims the brightest love This world has ever seen.

— Unknown

She kept the household running smooth While keeping hearts at ease. She held together everything With quiet expertise. She remembered every birthday, Every promise, every plan. She was the thread that bound us all, The centre of the clan. She gave her love in casseroles, In phone calls late at night, In quiet prayers and worried looks And hugs that held on tight. The world won't know how much she gave, But we, her family, do. The best wife, mother, friend on earth— The world was blessed by you.

— Unknown

She was the sun that warmed our days, The moon that lit our nights, The compass when we lost our way, The star in all our sights. Her love was never loud or bold, But steady, sure, and deep. The promises her heart had made Were promises she'd keep. And though the sun has set for now, Its warmth is still in bloom. For she is in the air we breathe, In every sunlit room. We loved her then, we love her now, We'll love her evermore— Our wife, our world, our guiding star, Who lit us to the core.

— Unknown

The memory of my father is wrapped up in white paper, like sandwiches taken for a day at work.

— Yehuda Amichai

Copyright Yehuda Amichai Estate. Published by HarperCollins.

Walk to the shore where a star's last rays Are shimmering on the waters. Walk, and think of all we shared, The joy, the laughter, the tears. I walked among people, I walked alone, But always I walked with my heart. I knew no other way to walk, I knew no other way to love. And though I leave this life behind, I leave my heart with you. For everything I ever was, I gave it all to you.

— Hannah Szenes

Tell me the one about the virus again, then. But Mum, why do I have to hear it? Because, darling, it's important.

— Tomos Roberts

Copyright Tomos Roberts (Tom Foolery). Published 2020.

Please don't put me in the ground Without my mobile phone. I need to check my Facebook page And answer all texts shown. I need to post a selfie or two To let my friends all know That the Wi-Fi up in Heaven Is a little bit too slow. But don't you worry 'bout me, love, I'll find a signal soon. I'll text you from the pearly gates And we'll FaceTime by the moon. So please don't cry too long for me, Just pick up your phone instead. And if you get a funny text, You'll know I'm not quite dead.

— Unknown

To-day's your natal day; Sweet flowers I bring: Mother, accept I pray My offering. And may you happy live, And long us bless; Receiving as you give Great happiness.

— Christina Rossetti

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

May time soften your pain, Till it's easier to bear. May all the nicest memories Help take away despair. May knowing that you're not alone Help see you through your grief. May time heal your broken heart And give you sweet relief.

— Unknown

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.

He was summer in December, Sunlight after rain, He was everything worth having, And worth having once again. He was laughter in the silence, Courage when we feared, He was all the things we treasure In the years since he appeared. Now the house is full of shadows Where his footsteps used to be, But his love remains forever Like an anchor in the sea.

— Unknown

We shared a room, we shared our toys, We shared the chaos little boys Bring to a house, a street, a town. We built each other up, then knocked each other down. We shared our teenage years of change, Navigating life so strange. We found our way, we found our voice, Sometimes we had no choice. But always, underneath it all, A brother there to break the fall. And now you've gone, I want you to know: You were the best part of the show.

— 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

I'm not afraid of dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens. Or was that Woody Allen? Either way, When I go, I'd like to go laughing.

— Sean Hughes

Copyright Sean Hughes Estate.