Popular funeral poems

Some poems and words of comfort. You may like to have one of these read out at the service.

These writings are not original, but are collected from different sources, re-printed here for your use. We have many more available at our office.

The Sailing Ship Farewell My Friends What is dying? It was beautiful As long as it lasted I am standing on the seashore. The journey of my life. A ship sails to the morning breeze and starts for the I have no regrets Whatsoever said ocean. The pain I’ll leave behind. She is an object and I stand watching her Those dear hearts Who love and care... Till at last she fades from the horizon, And the strings pulling At the heart and soul... And someone at my side says, The strong arms That held me up “She is gone!” Gone where? When my own strength Let me down. Gone from my sight, that is all; At the turning of my life I came across She is just as large in the masts, Good friends, Friends who stood by me hull and spars as she was when I saw her, Even when time raced me by. And just as able to bear her load Farewell, farewell My friends of living freight to its destination. I smile and Bid you goodbye. The diminished size and total loss No, shed no tears For I need them not of sight is in me, not in her; All I need is your smile. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, If you feel sad Do think of me “She is gone”, For that’s what I’ll like When you live in the hearts There are others who are watching her coming, Of those you love Remember then And other voices take up a glad shout, You never die. “There she comes” – and that is dying. Rabindranath Tagore Bishop Charles Henry Brent

If I Should Go Before Remember Remember me when I am gone away, The Rest of You Gone far away into a silent land; If I should go before the rest of you, When you can no more hold me by the hand, Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone. Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Nor when I’m gone speak in Sunday voice, Remember me when no more day be day But be the usual selves that I have known. You tell me of your future that you’d plann’d- Weep if you must, Only remember me; you understand Parting is hell, It will be late to counsel then or pray. But life goes on, Yet if you should forget me for a while So sing as well. And afterwards remember, do not grieve: Joyce Grenfell For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far that you should forget and smile Than you should remember and be sad. Let Me Go Christina Rossetti 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 Think of Me Why cry for a soul set free? I am not gone, Miss me a little, but not for long I never left, And not with your head bowed low Though through your tears, Remember the love that once we shared You were bereft, Miss me, but let me go. For I am waiting, For this is a journey we all must take In the room next door, And each must go alone. Where one day we’ll be together It's all part of the master plan Forever more. A step on the road to home. Think of me in a flower, When you are lonely and sick at heart Think of me in the rain, Go to the friends we know. Think of me when you hear, Laugh at all the things we used to do Miss me, but let me go The larks’ sweet refrain, Christina Georgina Rossetti Enjoy the warm sunlight, I’ll chase away the cold, Cherish what we shared, Indian Prayer And your heart will never grow old. For this is my love, When I am dead That I bestow on you, Cry for me a little To be always there, Think of me sometimes In what ever you do, But not too much. Walking in the breeze, Think of me now and again Or watching the clouds sail by As I was in life Just remember me, At some moments it’s pleasant to recall I never did die. But not for long. Andrew Grubersk Leave me in peace And I shall leave you in peace And while you live Let your thoughts be with the living. Traditional

Afterglow When I’m Gone I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one. When I come to the end of my journey I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done. And I travel my last weary mile I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned down the ways, And remember only the smile Of happy times and laughing times and Forget unkind words I have spoken bright and sunny days. Remember some good I have done I’d like the tears of those who grieve, Forget that I ever had heartache to dry before the sun; And remember I've had loads of fun Of happy memories that I leave when life is done. Forget that I've stumbled and blundered Unknown And sometimes fell by the way Remember I have fought some hard battles And won, ere the close of the day Then forget to grieve for my going I would not have you sad for a day If I Should Go Tomorrow But in summer just gather some flowers If I should go tomorrow And remember the place where I lay It would never be goodbye, And come in the shade of evening For I have left my heart with you, When the sun paints the sky in the west So don’t you ever cry. Stand for a few moments beside me And remember only my best The love that’s deep within me, Lyman Hancock Shall reach you from the stars, You’ll feel it from the heavens, And it will heal the scars. Unknown I am there Look for me when the tide is high And the gulls are wheeling overhead When the autumn wind sweeps the cloudy sky You’ve Just Walked On And one by one the leaves are shed Look for me when the tide is high Ahead of Me And the gulls are wheeling overhead And I’ve got to understand When the autumn wind sweeps the cloudy sky You must release the ones you love And one by one the leaves are shed And let go of their hand. I am there, where the river flows I try and cope the best I can And the salmon leap to a silver moon But I’m missing you so much Where the insects hum and the tall grass grows If I could only see you And sunlight warms the afternoon And once more feel your touch. I am there in the busy street Yes, you’ve just walked on ahead of me I take your hand in the city square Don’t worry I’ll be fine In the market place where the people meet But now and then I swear I feel In your quiet room – I am there Your hand slip into mine. I am the love you cannot see Joyce Grenfell And all I ask is – look for me. Iris Hesselden

He (she) is Gone Do Not Stand at My You can shed tears that he is gone- Or you can smile because he has lived. Grave and Weep You can close your eyes and pray that Do not stand at my grave and weep, he will come back- I am not there, I do not sleep. Or you can open your eyes and see I am a thousand winds that blow. what he has left. I am the diamond glint on snow. Your heart can be empty because I am the sunlight on ripened grain. you can’t see him- I am the gentle autumn rain. Or you can be full of the love you shared. When you wake in the morning hush, You can turn your back on tomorrow I am the swift, uplifting rush and live for the past- Of quiet birds in circling flight. Or you can be happy for tomorrow I am the soft starlight at night. because of yesterday. Do not stand at my grave and weep. You can remember him only that he is gone- I am not there, I do not sleep. Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. (Do not stand at my grave and cry. You can cry and close your mind, I am not there, I did not die!) Be empty and turn your back- Mary Elizabeth Frye Or you can do what he would want; Smile, open your eyes, love and go on. David Harkins Farewell My Friends Farewell My Friends It was beautiful As long as it lasted The journey of my life. Do Not Go Gentle Into I have no regrets Whatsoever said That Good Night The pain I’ll leave behind. Do not go gentle into that good night Those dear hearts Old age should burn and rave at the close of day; Who love and care... Rage, rage against the dying of the light. And the strings pulling At the heart and soul... Though wise men at their end know dark is right, The strong arms Because their words had forked not lightening they That held me up Do not go gentle into that good night. When my own strength Let me down. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright At the turning of my life Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, I came across Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Good friends, Friends who stood by me Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, Even when time raced me by. And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Farewell, farewell My friends Do not go gentle into that good night. I smile and Bid you goodbye. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight No, shed no tears Blind eyes could blaze like meteors be gay, For I need them not Rage, rage against the dying of the light. All I need is your smile. If you feel sad And you my father, there on the sad height, Do think of me Curse, bless me now with fierce tears, I pray. For that’s what I’ll like Do not go gentle into that good night. When you live in the hearts Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Of those you love Dylan Thomas Remember then You never die. Gitanjali Ghei

My Journey’s Just Begun You’ve just walked on Don't think of me as gone away My journey's just begun ahead of me Life holds so many facets And I’ve got to understand This earth is but one You must release the ones you love Just think of me as resting And let go of their hand. From the sorrows and the tears I try and cope the best I can In a place of warmth and comfort But I’m missing you so much Where there are no days and years If I could only see you Think of how I must be wishing And once more feel your touch. That you could know today Yes, you’ve just walked on ahead of me How nothing but your sadness Don’t worry I’ll be fine Can really go away But now and then I swear I feel And think of me as living Your hand slip into mine. In the hearts of those I touched Joyce Grenfell For nothing loved is ever lost And I know I was loved so much Ellen Brenneman Look for me in Rainbows Time for me to go now, I won't say goodbye; Look for me in rainbows, way up in the sky. In the morning sunrise when all the world is new, All Is Well Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you. Death is nothing at all, Time for me to leave you, I won't say goodbye; I have only slipped into the next room Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky. I am I and you are you In the evening sunset, when all the world is through, Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Just look for me and love me, and I'll be close to you. Call me by my old familiar name, It won't be forever, the day will come and then Speak to me in the easy way which you always used My loving arms will hold you, when we meet again. Put no difference in your tone, Time for us to part now, we won't say goodbye; Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow Look for me in rainbows, shining in the sky. Laugh as we always laughed at the Every waking moment, and all your whole life through little jokes we enjoyed together. Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Just wish me to be near you, Let my name be ever the household word And I'll be there with you. that it always was, Vicki Brown Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, Just around the corner. All is well. Henry Scott Holland