Funeral Poems / Funeral Verses
Popular Funeral Poetry
Certain poems and excerpts are recognised for their extraordinary healing
power and for their capacity to convey the universal tr uths and emotions
associated with bereavement.
Examples include:
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‘Crossing The Bar’ (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)
‘We See But Dimly’ (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
‘Remember ’ (Christina Rossetti)
‘Funeral Blues’ (W.H. Auden)
‘When I Have Fears’ (Noël Coward)
‘Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep’ (Mary Elizabeth Frye)
‘You Meant So Much’ (Cassie Mitchell)
‘I Am There’ (Iris Hesselden)
‘Fear No More the Heat O’ The Sun’ (William Shakespeare)
‘All Things Pass’ (Lao-Tzu)
‘No Longer Mourn Me When I Am Dead’ (William Shakespeare)
‘Death Be Not Proud’ (John Donne)
‘Miss me but let me go’ (Anon)
‘Miss me but let me go’ (Anon)
‘Death is nothing at all’ (Canon Henry Scott Holland)
‘The Sailing Ship’ ( Bishop Brent’)
‘ I'm Still Here’ (Anon)
‘Footprints in the sand’ (Mary Stevenson)
‘Footprints in the sand’(Carolyn Joyce Carty)
‘Footprints’ (Anon)
‘Grieve not for me’ (Anon)
Section of a personalised poem
‘If tears could build a stairway’
‘Epitaph on a child’ (Thomas Gray)
‘Promise You Won’t Forget About Me, Ever’ (A.A. Milne)
'The Dash' (Linda Ellis)
‘Remember me’ (Linda Ellis)
‘Let me go’ (Christina Rosetti)
‘Responses for a cremation’ (Ruth Burgess)
‘Responses for a burial’ (Ruth Burgess)
Irish blessing (Anon)
1. Alfred Lord Tennyson
Crossing the Bar
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 though from out our bourn 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.
2. We See But Dimly
We see but dimly through the mists and vapours;
Amid these earthly damps
What seem to us but sad, funeral tapers
May be heaven's distant lamps
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
3. Remember
BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI 1830–1894
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.
4, Funeral Blues
Made popular by the movie, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W.H. Auden
5. When I Have Fears - Noel Coward
When I have fears, as Keats had fears,
Of the moment I'll cease to be
I console myself with vanished years
Remembered laughter, remembered tears,
And the peace of the changing sea.
When I feel sad, as Keats felt sad
That my life is so nearly done
It gives me comfort to dwell upon
Remembered friends who are dead and gone
And the jokes we had and the fun
How happy they are I cannot know,
But happy I am who loved them so.
Noel Coward
6. Do not stand at my grave and weep
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 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 Frye
7. You Meant So Much
You meant so much to all of us
You were special and that's no lie
You brightened up the darkest day
And the cloudiest sky
Your smile alone warmed hearts
Your laugh was like music to hear
I would give absolutely anything
To have you well and standing near
Not a second passes
When you're not on our minds
Your love we will never forget
The hurt will ease in time
Many tears I have seen and cried
They have all poured out like rain
I know that you are happy now
And no longer in any pain.
Cassie Mitchell
8. I Am There - Iris Hesselden
Look for me when the tide is high
And the gulls are wheeling overhead
When the autumn wind sweeps the cloudy sky
And one by one the leaves are shed
Look for me when the trees are bare
And the stars are bright in the frosty sky
When the morning mist hangs on the air
And shorter darker days pass by.
I am there, where the river flows
And salmon leap to a silver moon
Where the insects hum and the tall grass grows
And sunlight warms the afternoon
I am there in the busy street
I take you hand in the city square
In the market place where the people meet
In your quiet room - I am there
I am the love you cannot see
And all I ask is - look for me
9. Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun
Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art done, 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 finished 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 renownèd by thy grave!
William Shakespeare
10. All Things Pass - Lao-Tzu
All things pass
A sunrise does not last all morning
All things pass
A cloudburst does not last all day
All things pass
Nor a sunset all night
All things pass
What always changes?
Earth...sky...thunder...
mountain...water...
wind...fire...lake...
These change
And if these do not last
Do man's visions last?
Do man's illusions?
Take things as they come
All things pass
11. Sonnet 71 - No longer mourn for me - Shakespeare
No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world with vilest worms to dwell.
Nay if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it, for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.
O, if, I say, you look upon this verse,
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.
12. Death be not proud – John Donne
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
13. Miss me but let me go (Anon)
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 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 must all take
And each must go alone
It's all a part of the Master'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
Anon
14. Miss me, but let me go.
We've known lots of pleasure,
At times endured pain,
We've lived in the sunshine
And walked in the rain.
But now we're separated
And for a time apart,
But I am not aloneYou're forever in my heart.
Death always seems so sudden,
And it is always sure,
But what is oft' forgottenIt is not without a cure.
There may be times you miss me,
I sort of hope you do,
But smile when you think of me,
For I'll be waiting for you.
Now there's many things for you to do,
And lots of ways to grow,
So get busy, be happy, and live your life,
Miss me, but let me go.
15. Death is nothing at all
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other
That we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes
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 effort,
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 absolutely unbroken continuity.
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 around the corner.
All is well.
Canon Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)
16. The Sailing Ship
A ship sails and I stand watching till she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says
‘She is gone’.
Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large now as when I last saw
her.
Her diminished size and total loss from my sight is in me, not in her.
And just at that moment, when someone at my side says she is gone, there are others who
are watching her coming over their horizon and other voices take up a glad shout –‘There
she comes!’
That is what dying is.
An horizon and just the limit of our sight.
Lift us up O Lord, that we may see further.
Bishop Brent
17. I'm Still Here
Friend, please don't mourn for me
I'm still here, though you don't see.
I'm right by your side each night and day
And within your heart I long to stay.
My body is gone but I'm always near.
I'm everything you feel, see or hear.
My spirit is free, but I'll never depart
As long as you keep me alive in your heart.
I'll never wander out of your sightI'm the brightest star on a summer night.
I'll never be beyond your reachI'm the warm moist sand when you're at the beach.
I'm the colourful leaves when autumn’s around
And the pure white snow that blankets the ground.
I'm the beautiful flowers, of which you're so fond,
The clear cool water in a quiet pond.
I'm the first bright blossom you'll see in the spring,
The first warm raindrop that April will bring.
I'm the first ray of light when the sun starts to shine,
And you'll see that the face in the moon is mine.
When you start thinking there's no one to love you,
You can talk to me through the Lord above you.
I'll whisper my answer through the leaves on the trees,
And you'll feel my presence in the soft summer breeze.
I'm the hot salty tears that flow when you weep
And the beautiful dreams that come while you sleep.
I'm the smile you see on a baby's face.
Just look for me, friend, I'm every place!
Author Unknown
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One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."
written by Carolyn Joyce Carty
20. FOOTPRINTS
One night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God, and across the sky
flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one
belonged to me and the other to God. When the last scene of my life flashed before us I looked
back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at times along the path of life there was only one
set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned God about it. “God, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troubled times in my
life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why in times when I needed you most,
you would leave me.” God replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never
leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you see only one set of footprints it was
then that I carried you.
Anon
21. Grieve not for me
Grieve not for me
nor mourn the while,
for happier would I be
to see you smile.
Let no tears fall
since I have passed away
but miss me and
remember me each day
Live your lives
as I would want you to,
and treat your fellowman
as I would do.
And when the time has come,
your lives be through,
I shall be waiting here
for each of you.
22. This is a section of a personalized poem
(Name), we're not gathered together in a gloom filled room
There's no heads bowed low for you
We're having a 'do' in the (Venue)
‘Cos we know you'd want us to.
You've taken the journey we all must take
We take comfort and we know
You're now reunited with (Name)
We miss you... and we're letting you go.
23. If Tears could build a stairway
If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I’d walk right up to heaven
And bring you home again.
24. Epitaph on a child
Here, freed from pain, secure from misery, lies
A child, the darling of his parents’ eyes:
A gentler Lamb ne’er sported on the plain,
A fairer flower will never bloom again;
Now let him sleep in peace his night of death.
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
25. A.A. Milne
"Pooh, promise me you won't forget about
me, ever. Not even when I am a hundred."
Pooh thought for a little. "How old shall I be
then?" "Ninety-nine." Pooh nodded. "I
promise," he said.
"you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, & smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin: "Pooh Bear, what if someday there came a tomorrow when we were apart?" Pooh: "As long as we're apart
...
07 Jun 2010
www.youtube.com
26. 'The Dash' by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on
her casket from beginning to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and
spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash
between those years. For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth
and now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard; are there things you would like to change?
For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough to consider what is true and real
and always try to understand the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives like we have never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.
So when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?
Remember me by Linda Ellis
It’s been a while since I left you
and I know you bear a heavy heart.
For years we were the best of friends
and in your eyes, we’re now apart.
Though it may be true my idle feet
no longer tread the grounds of earth,
it is you who can truly justify
what the steps they took are worth.
Realize now that I am only gone
if you choose for me to be . . .
if you hesitate to speak my name
or recall each memory.
If you reject the image of my face
because it brings you pain,
then my life, my love, my laughter
will all have been in vain.
I know you miss my presence
from the steady tears upon your face,
but these tears you cry are not for me,
for I am in a better place.
I am no longer suffering.
I feel no pain, nor have I sorrow.
I’ve gone forward to this beautiful place
to spend today and every tomorrow.
So laugh at our jokes, remember our time
and freely speak my name.
If you’ll relive our years together,
then it won’t be an end that came.
Embrace the things we’ve shared;
revisit places we have been.
Keep me alive within your heart
and I will never die again.
Yes, it’s true that it won’t be the same
and the same . . . it will never be,
but I will always be by your side
if you will always remember me.
27. She is gone / He is Gone
(Read out at the Queen Mother's Funeral)
You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
David Harkins 1981
28. Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that once we shared
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone.
It's all part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
When I am dead my dearest
Sing no sad songs for me
Plant thou no roses at my head
Nor shady cypress tree
Be the 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 fear the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on as if in pain;
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
Christina Rosetti
29. Responses for a Cremation
Into the freedom of wind and sunshine
We let you go
Into the dance of the stars and the planets
We let you go
Into the wind's breath and the hands of the star maker
We let you go
We love you, we miss you, we want you to be happy
Go safely, go dancing, go running home
Ruth Burgess
30. Responses for a Burial
Into the darkness and warmth of the earth
We lay you down
Into the sadness and smiles of our memories
We lay you down
Into the cycle of living and dying and rising again
We lay you down
May you rest in peace, in fulfilment, in loving
May you run straight home in God's embrace
Ruth Burgess
31. Irish Blessing
May the roads rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Anon