Poetry
Within this section lies a collection of poems that can aid you as you navigate the delicate terrain of farewells.
Each poem is a heartfelt expression, offering solace and reflection, guiding you through the tender process of honoring and celebrating the lives of those dear to you.
As you read these lines, may you find solace and inspiration to craft a meaningful tribute that beautifully echoes the essence of your loved ones' journeys.
A Bird in the Mist
At times like this,
We may look through books for the perfect words
To give form to our feelings,
Make the thing complete,
Set the matter at rest.
Yet, in hours of searching,
Each piece lies rejected - too precise, too difficult, too sweet,
Too harsh, implying what we do not wish to say.
But, look into the grey wide sky,
And the thoughts will come like this:
Remember me when I loved you most and you loved me most.
Remember me when I was my bravest and I did you right.
Then, let that be our secret bond
And, let us rise in the morning and enjoy the light
And know that the bird in the mist is returning to the sun.
A Limb Has Fallen
A limb has fallen from the family tree,
I keep hearing a voice that says, “Grieve not for me.
Remember the best times, the laughter, the song,
The good life lived while I was strong.
Continue my heritage, I’m counting on you,
Keep smiling and surely the sun will shine through.
My mind is at ease, my soul is at rest,
Remembering all, now I truly was blessed.
Continue Traditions, No matter how small,
Go on with your life, don’t just stare at the wall.
I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin,
Until the day comes we’re together again.
As Kids
- Ryan Closson
As kids, we lived together
We fought, we laughed, we cried.
We did not always show the love,
That we both had inside.
We shared our dreams and plans,
And some secrets too.
All memories we share,
Is what bonds me now to you.
We grew to find we have a love
That is very strong today.
It’s a love shared by our family,
That will never fade away.
You are my brother not by choice,
But by the nature of our birth
I could not have chosen a better one
You were the best on earth.
Away
- James Whitcomb Riley
I cannot say and I will not say
That he is dead, he is just away.
With a cheery smile and a wave of hand
He has wondered into an unknown land;
And left us dreaming how very fair
Its needs must be, since he lingers there.
And you-oh you, who the wildest yearn
From the old-time step and glad return-
Think of his faring on, as dear
In the love there, as the love here
Think of him still the same way, I say;
He is not dead, he is just away
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.
I give a share of my soul to the world where my course is run.
I know that another shall finish the task I must leave undone.
I know that no flower, nor flint was in vain on the path I trod.
As one looks on a face through a window, through life I have looked on God.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
Close the Gate
For this one farmer the worries are over,
lie down and rest your head,
Your time has been and struggles enough,
put the tractor in the shed.
Years were not easy,
many downright hard, but your faith in God transcended,
Put away your tools and sleep in peace.
The fences have all been mended.
You raised a fine family,
worked the land well and always followed the Son,
Hang up your shovel inside of the barn;
your work here on earth is done.
A faith few possess led your journey through life,
often a jagged and stony way,
The sun is setting, the cattle are all bedded,
and here now is the end of your day.
Your love of God’s soil has passed on to your kin;
the stories flow like fine wine,
Wash off your work boots in the puddle
left by blessed rain one final time.
You always believed that the good Lord would provide
and He always had somehow,
Take off your gloves and put them down,
no more sweat and worry for you now.
Your labor is done, your home now is heaven;
no more must you wait,
Your legacy lives on, your love of the land,
and we will close the gate.
- Nancy Kraayenhof
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each other, we still are.
Please, call me by my old familiar name.
Speak of me in the same easy way you always did.
Put no difference in your tone,
Laugh, as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Think of me and smile.
Let my name be the household name it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
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.
Farewell My Friends
- Rabindranath Tagore
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 time raced by me.
Farewell, Farewell my friend
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.
Our parting should be joyous,
When you think of where I’ll be,
Holding hands with my true love,
He’s looking after me.
I have no pain, I have no fear,
Of this I am set free.
It wasn’t easy leaving,
Until the Angels came for me.
I’ve left my earthly body,
Now my energy is strong.
There’s Angels all around me,
Helping me along.
In spirit, I can come to you
Any time of day.
You only have to think of me,
I won’t be far away.
Although you cannot see me,
My presence will be clear.
When you take a quiet moment,
You’ll know that I am near.
A scent, a flower, a word, a song,
A whisper in the breeze.
A dream and I’ll be there with you,
Yes, it will be me.
Forever In Your Heart
Feel no guilt in laughter,
She/He knows how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile,
That she’s not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever,
She/He would not want you to.
She’d/He’d hope that you would carry on,
The way you always do.
So talk about the good times,
And the ways you showed you cared.
The days you spent together,
All the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you,
A word someone might say,
Will suddenly recapture,
A time, an hour, a day.
That brings her/him back as clearly,
As though she was still here,
And fills you with the feelings,
That say she’s always near.
For if you keep those moments,
You will never be apart,
And they will live forever,
Safely locked within your heart.
I spent my life in furrows and fields
Working and tilling the land
Observing the beauties created
By God’s almighty hand
I have touched the richness of soil
I’ve born the wind and sun on my face
And I would choose this life and this land
Over any other place
A life filled with crimson-dawned mornings
When I was up to greet the sky
Days spent with family and creation
All throughout my life
I was blessed to experience each springtime
Where raindrops have washed the earth clean
While summer’s sun nurtured my harvests
Fields bearing the lushness of green
And my life’s been strengthened by trials
For the weak can never belong
In a living where nature and the elements
Form a body and a courage that’s strong
Still, I’ve also been blessed with some miracles
During trying times when I couldn’t go on
Until God sent me the help I needed
And kept me right where I belonged
So having witnessed the power of God
Upon my life and upon the seasons
I know there’s a purpose in everything
Though sometimes we don’t know the reasons
…And so my life must be no different
Just like the crops that I have grown
For I am also God’s child and seed
That at harvest must come home…
To share in the joy of His presence
And to humbly kneel at His feet
Entering into His joy, and His rest
For a season of everlasting peace
He / She Is Gone
You can shed tears that he/she is gone,
Or you can smile because he/she has lived.
​
You can close your eyes and pray that he/she will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he/she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him/her,
Or you can be full of the love that 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 him/her and only that he/she is gone,
Or you can cherish his/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 he/she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
In “I Am Standing Upon the Seashore,” Henry Van Dyke uses the metaphor of a ship moving beyond the horizon as a metaphor for death. He explains that the ship disappearing behind the horizon doesn’t mean that the ship is gone; it’s only gone from the perspective of the person on the shore watching it. To someone on the other side, the ship is appearing for the first time.
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning 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 and 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
at my side 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.
I Am Still With You
If it seems that I am far away
On this empty and solemn day.
Just open your heart and know it’s true
That I am still right here with you.
If during the day things are going wrong
Please don’t feel sad and alone.
Just open your heart and know it’s true
That I am still right here with you.
When night time falls and the day s done
If you are feeling alone and sleep won’t come
Just open your heart and know it’s true
That I am still right here with you.
Close your eyes, and feel the warm embrace
Sleep peacefully in the wings of grace
If sadness finds you in the morning light
If you feel alone, don’t give up trying
Hold this feather close and know it’s true
That I am always here with you.
I heard your voice in the wind today
and I turned to see your face;
The warmth of the wind caressed me
as I stood silently in place.
I felt your touch in the sun today
as its warmth filled the sky;
I closed my eyes for your embrace
and my spirit soared high.
I saw your eyes in the window pane
as I watched the falling rain;
It seemed as each raindrop fell
it quietly said your name.
I held you close in my heart today
it made me feel complete;
You may have died...but you are not gone
you will always be a part of me.
- Author Unknown
If I Had A Voice
If I had a voice, I’d Say
Dear ones, please don’t cry.
Still love me, but don’t grieve for me,
It’s easy if you try.
Don’t think of all that I won’t see,
Just think of what I’ve seen.
Think not of places I won’t go,
But remember where I’ve been.
I’ve Lived, I’ve Loved, I’ve laughed, I’ve Cried
I worked hard, that’s for sure!
I’ve done my best, I’m satisfied.
I couldn’t ask for more.
I know not what becomes of me,
Nor what’s beyond today.
If I had a choice, I’d use my voice
But alas I’ve gone away.
You have memories of me to enjoy,
Smile, Laugh, be tough.
You have loved me and enriched my Life.
I was happy, that’s enough.
- Author Unknown
When I have moved beyond you in the adventure of life,
Gather in some pleasant place and there remember me
With spoken words, old and new.
Let a tear if you will, but let a smile come quickly
For I have loved the laughter of life.
Do not linger too long with your solemnities.
Go eat and talk, and when you can;
Follow a woodland trail, climb a high mountain,
Walk along the wild seashore,
Chew the thoughts of some book
Which challenges your soul.
Use your hands some bright day
To make a thing of beauty
Or to lift someone’s heavy load.
Though you mention not my name,
Though no thought of me crosses your mind,
I shall be with you,
For these have been the realities of my life for me.
And when you face some crisis with anguish.
When you walk alone with courage,
When you choose your path of right,
I shall be very close to you.
I have followed the valleys,
I have climbed the heights of life.
- Arnold Crompton
- Author Unknown
Legacy of Love
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.
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
Life’s Tug of War
Life can seem ungrateful and not always kind.
Life can pull at heartstrings and play with your mind…
Life can be blissful and happy and free…
Life can put beauty in the things that you see…
Life can place challenges right at your feet…
Life can make good of the hardships we meet…
Life can overwhelm and make your head spin…
Life can reward those determined to win…
Life can be hurtful and not always fair…
Life can surround you with people who care…
Life clearly does offer its up and its downs…
Life’s days can bring you both smiles and frowns…
Life teaches – take the good with the bad…
Life is a mixture of happy and sad…
So…
Take the Life that you have and give it your best…
Think positive, be happy, let life do the rest…
Take all the challenges laid at your feet…
Take pride and be thankful for each one you meet…
To yourself give forgiveness if you stumble and fall…
Take each day that is dealt you and give it your all…
Take the love that you’re given and return it with care…
Have hope that when needed, it will always be there…
Take time to find beauty in the things that you see…
Take life’s simple pleasures, let them set your heart free…
The idea here is simply to even the score…
As you are met and face Life’s Tug of War.
- Author Unknown
Death is not the end,
For love goes on
And you will find the evidence
Long after I have gone.
The flowers that we planted
Will blossom without end,
You’ll find me in their beauty
As to their needs you tend.
The books we read together,
The laughter in the pages,
Will continue to give pleasure
To you throughout the ages.
So do not mourn my passing
You are not left alone,
You’ll always find me waiting
In the places we have known.
The bond that grew between us
Will not abate with time,
It will go on for always,
I’m yours and you are mine.
- May Fenn
- Robin Drummond
Native American Prayer
I give you this on thought to keep –
I am with you still – I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on the snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone –
I am with you still –
In each new dawn.
Remember me with happy thoughts,
With laughter in the air.
Remember me, the me you knew
With smiles and not despair.
For even though there’s sadness now
This will not last for long
For soon you’ll find within your heart-
A brighter, happier song.
Remember all the happy times
The things we used to do
The games we played, the fun we shared
Remember for it’s true….
For though my body now has gone,
Still alive with in your mind-
Are all those happy memories
That I have left behind.
- Peter Wyllie
Remember Only My Best
When I come to the end of my journey
And I travel my last weary mile
Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned
And remember only the smile
Forget unkind words I have spoken
Remember some good I have done
Forget that I ever had heartache
And remember I’ve had loads of fun
Forget that I’ve stumbled and blundered
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
But in summer just gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay
And come in the shade of evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best
- Mosiah Lyman Hancock
Someone I love has gone away
And life is not the same
The greatest gift that you can give
Is just to speak his/her name
I need to hear the stories
And the tales of days gone past
I need for you to understand
These memories must last
We cannot make more memories
Since he’s/she’s no longer here
So when you speak of him/her to me
It’s music to my ear
- Peter Wyllie
Stop All The Clocks
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone
Prevent the dog barking with a juicy bone
Silence the pianos with a 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 public doves
Let the traffic policeman 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 wood
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
- W. H. Auden
After the clouds, the sunshine,
after the winter, the spring,
after the shower, the rainbow,
for life is a changeable thing.
After the night, the morning,
bidding all darkness cease,
after life’s cares and sorrows,
the comfort and sweetness of peace.
- Helen Steiner Rice
- Leo Marks
The Life That I Have
The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have is yours.
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have.
Yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
A rose once grew where all could see,
Sheltered beside a garden wall,
And, as the days passed swiftly by,
It spread its branches, straight and tall…
One day a beam of light shone through a
Crevice that had opened wide –
The rose bent gently towards its warmth,
Then passed beyond to the other side…
Now, you who deeply feel its loss,
Be comforted – the rose blooms there
Its beauty even greater now,
Nurtured in loving care…
- A. L. Frink
The Ship of Life
Along the shore I spy a ship
As she sets out to sea;
She spreads her sails and sniffs the breeze
And slips away from me.
I watch her fading image shrink,
As she moves on and on,
Until at last she’s but a speck,
Then someone says, “She’s gone.”
Gone where? Gone only from our sight
And from our farewell cries;
That ship will somewhere reappear
To other eager eyes.
Beyond the dim horizon’s rim
Resound the welcome drums,
And while we’re crying, “There she goes!”
They’re shouting, “Here she comes!”
We’re built to cruise for but a while
Upon this trackless sea
Until one day we sail away
Into infinity.
- John T. Baker
They are not dead,
Who leave us this great heritage
Of remembering joy.
They still live in our hearts,
In the happiness we knew,
In the dreams we shared.
They still breathe,
In the lingering fragrance, windblown,
From their favourite flowers.
They still smile in the moonlight’s silver,
And laugh in the sunlight’s sparking gold.
They still speak in the echoes of the words
We’ve heard them say again and again.
They still move,
In the rhythm of waving grasses,
In the dance of the tossing branches.
They are not dead;
Their memory is warm in our hearts,
Comfort in our sorrow.
They are not apart from us,
But a part of us,
For love is eternal,
And those we love shall be with us
Throughout all eternity.
- Author Unknown
Thy Will Be Done
You left quietly without a fuss
You always had a smile to share
A laugh, a joke
A time to care
A wonderful nature
Warm and true
These are the memories
I have of you
A beautiful life
Came to an end
You died as you lived
Everyone’s friend
You gave years of happiness
Then sorrow came with tears
You left me lovely memories
I will treasure through the years
- Dorothy Frances Gurney
Those special memories of you
Will always bring a smile
If only I could have you back
For just a little while
Then we could sit and talk again
Just like we used to do
You always meant so very much
And always will do too
The fact that you’re no longer here
Will always cause me pain
But you’re forever in my heart
Until we meet again
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Warning
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
- Jenny Joseph
At the rising of the sun and at its going down.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter.
We remember them.
At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring.
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer.
We remember them.
At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn.
At the beginning of the year and when it ends.
We remember them.
As long as we live, they too will live;
for they are now a part of us
as we remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength.
When we are lost and sick at heart.
We remember them.
When we have joy we crave to share.
When we have decisions that are difficult to make.
When we have achievements that are based on theirs
We remember them.
As long as we live, they too will live;
for they are now a part of us
as we remember them.
- Sylvan Kamens and Rabbi Jack Riemer
- Author Unknown
We Thought of you Today
We thought of you today
But that is nothing new
We thought of you yesterday
And will tomorrow, too.
We think of you in silence
And make no outward show
For what it meant to lose you
Only those who love you know.
Remembering you is easy,
We do it everyday.
It’s the heartache of losing you
That will never go away.
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 traveled 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'.
- Author Unknown
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
I know that no matter what
You will always be with me.
When life separates us
I’ll know it is only your soul
Saying goodbye to your body
But your spirit will be with me always.
When I see a bird chirping on a nearby branch
I will know it is you singing to me.
When a butterfly brushes gently by me so care freely
I will know it is you assuring me you are free from pain.
When the gentle fragrance of a flower catches my attention
I will know it is you reminding me
To appreciate the simple things in life.
When the sun shining through my window awakens me
I will feel the warmth of your love.
When I hear the rain pitter patter against my window sill
I will hear your words of wisdom
And will remember what you taught me so well’
That without rain trees cannot grow
Without rain flowers cannot bloom
Without life’s challenges I cannot grow strong.
When I look out to the sea
I will think of your endless love for your family.
When I think of mountains, their majesty and magnificence
I will think of your courage for your country.
No matter where I am
Your spirit will be beside me
For I know that no matter what
You will always be with me.