Poems & Readings
These poems and readings are suitable for both traditional funeral services, and more informal memorial services and celebration of life gatherings.
VERSES
1. Constantly loved, ever remembered
2. Ever in our thoughts
3. Resting where no shadows fall
4. Safe in the arms of Jesus
5. Rest in peace
6. Requiescat in pace
7. Life and love know no end
8. Always remembered
9. Remembered with love
10. In God’s care
11. Treasured memories of a dear…
12. At rest
13. Mum and Dad reunited
14. A patient suffered at rest
15. Forever in our hearts
16. Sweet is the sleep that ends all pain
17. Peace after suffering
18. With God, which is far better
19. Peace at last
20. To know him/her was to love him/her
21. May his/her dear soul rest in peace
22. Till we meet again
23. Love does not end
24. Cherished memories
25. Sleeping peacefully
26. So mote It Be (Masonic)
27. Lest we forget (R.S.L.)
28. We will never forget you
29. We will be sadly missed
30. Goodbye my darling
31. Thanks for the memories
32. One of nature’s true gentlemen
33. So dearly loved, so sadly missed
34. In heavenly love abiding
35. Peace, perfect peace
36. We have so many happy memories you will be forever in our hearts
37. Your memory is my greatest treasure to have and to hold in my heart forever
38. Death is the golden key that opens the place of eternity
39. A special person, a special face a special someone we cannot replace
40. God will link the broken chain closer when we meet again
41. To love in the hearts of those we love is not to die
42. In God’s care you rest above in our hearts you rest with love
43. Words are few, thoughts are deep memories of you we will always keep or (memories of you are ours to keep)
44. God has you in his keeping we have you in our hearts
45. He/she was always unselfish, helpful, and kind What beautiful memories he/she left behind
46. Weep not that he/she has gone but smile that he/she has been
47. To the world you were but one to us you were our world
48. This day will be remembered and quietly kept no words are needed, we will never forget
49. A tender thought that brings a tear a silent wish that you were here
50. No longer in our lives to share but in our heart you’ll always be there
51. Your memory we will always treasure in our hearts you will stay forever
52. We really can’t find the words to say just how sad we feel today
53. Silent thoughts of time together hold memories that will last forever
54. Sweet is the sleep that ended the pain we would not wake you to suffer again
55. In our hearts you will always stay loved and remembered every day
56. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God
57. Thanks for a lifetime of memories, for your love and kindness help and encouragement
58. Deep in our hearts memories are kept of a … we will never forget
59. We know you walk beside us and when our lives are through we pray to God to take us and lead us straight to you
60. My heart aches with sadness my secret tears flow for what it means to lose you no one will ever know
61. Our thoughts are always with you your place no one will fill in life we loved you dearly in death we love you still
62. To hear your voice, to see your smile to sit and talk to you awhile to be together in the same old way would be our greatest wish today
63. If I could have a lifetime wish a wish that would come true I would want to wish with all my heart for yesterday and you
64. …, you never failed to do your best your heart was true and tender you simply lived for those you loved an those you loved remembered
65. It’s not what we write it’s not what we say it’s how we remember you in our own special way
66. We didn’t see you close your eyes we didn’t say goodbye we were only told that you were gone without a last goodbye
67. A chapter complete a page is turned a life well lived a rest well earned
68. Death will not part us or distance divide forever and always you will be by my side
69. A golden heart stopped beating two hands were laid to rest God broke our hearts to prove he only take the best
70. I cannot stop the hands of time nor live again the past but I shall love and think of you as long as time shall last
71. Suddenly you were taken we could not say goodbye now we only have memories that will never die
72. You had a smile for everyone you had a heart of gold you left behind the memories that we will always hold
73. Tired and weary you made no fuss you tried so hard to stay with us you suffered so much and told so few you never deserved what you went through
74. May the winds of love blow softly and whisper for you to hear that we will love and remember you and forever keep you near
75. The things we feel so deeply are the hardest things to say you will always be remembered in a very special way
76. Thank you for the years we shared the love you gave, the way you cared In our hearts you’ll always stay loved and remembered every day
77. God saw that you were weary He did what he thought best and gently held you in His arms and said come with me and rest
78. Out of this world of suffering into God’s garden of rest it must be a beautiful garden for He only takes the best
79. Though hi/her smile has gone forever and his/her hands we cannot touch we shall never lose the memory of the … we loved so much
80. When nights are long and friends are few I know I’II sit and think of you how my heart aches and I whisper low God bless you … I miss you so and one you think will stay You never dream the day will come when he/she will go away For those who have a … cherish him/her while you may because I would give the world to have my … here today
81. With tears we saw you suffer, … We watched you fade away Our hearts were slowly breaking as you fought so hard to stay You did not go alone for part of us went with you the day God called you home
82. His/her pleasures were simple His/her needs were few if his/her family was happy he/she was too he/she gave us love in the fullest measure care, devotion and memories to treasure he/she shared our dreams, hopes and tears thank you … for those precious years
83. Dear Father in heaven please hear my prayer tend my … with loving care there are many … in the world I know but he/she was mine and I loved him/her so So treasure him/her Lord in your garden of rest for here on earth he/she was one of the best
84. We knew the time was coming when we would have to say goodbye our hearts are filled with sadness but memories will never die Rest peacefully …………. in some place green some place nice some place that’s called paradise
85. … you shared my life and troubles the laughter and the tears you gave me loving friendship through all the loving years Out of all the many blessings received along life’s way there was no gift more treasured than you and our yesterdays
POEMS
A Mother’s Beauty
God took the fragrance of a flower,
The majesty of a tree,
The gentleness of morning dew, The calm of quiet sea,
The beauty of the twilight hour,
The soul of a starry night,
The laughter of a rippling brook,
The grace of a bird in flight, the tender care of an angel, the faith of a mustard seed, the patience of eternity,
The depth of a family’s need.
Then God fashioned from these things
A creation like no other,
And when his masterpiece was through, he simply called it: Mother.
A Successful Man
That man is a success
Who has lived well, laughed often and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent people,
And the love of children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it;
Who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty,
Or failed to express it;
Who looked for the best in others, and gave the best he had.
All is Well
by Canon Henry Scott-Holland
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 to me in the easy way which you have 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 enjoyed together.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect,
Without a 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 around the corner.
All is well.
Ascension
by Colleen Corah Hitchcock
And if I go, while you’re still here. Know that I live on, vibrating to a different measure – behind a veil you cannot see through. You will not see me, so you must have faith.
I wait for the time when we can soar together again – both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to its fullest and when you need me, just whisper my name in your heart,
. . . I will be there.
Be Still My Soul
by Katharina von Schlege
Be still my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; leave to thy God to order and provide; in very change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still my soul: when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Footsteps
by Mary Stevenson
One night a man had a dream. He dreamt 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.”
All is Well
by Canon Henry Scott-Holland
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 to me in the easy way which you have 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 enjoyed together.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect,
Without a 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 around the corner.
All is well.
For Mum
What can you say
To someone who has always been one of
The most essential parts of your world Someone who took you by the hand
When you were little
And helped to show the way?
What do you say to someone
Who stood by to help you grow
Providing love, strength, and support So you could become the person You are today?
What can you say to let her know
That she’s the best there is
And that you hope you’ve inherited
Some of her wisdom and her strength?
What words would you say If you ever got the chance?
Maybe you just say “I love you Mum”, and hope she understands.
For a Parent
As we look back over time,
We find ourselves wondering;
Did we remember to thank you enough
For all you have done for us?
For all the times you were by our sides
To help and support us,
To celebrate our successes, To understand our problems, And accept our defeats?
Or for teaching us by your example,
The value of hard work, good judgment, Courage and integrity?
We wonder if we ever thanked you
For the sacrifices you made.
And for the simple things;
Such as laughter, smiles and the good times we shared.
If we have forgotten to show our Gratitude for all the things you did, We’re thanking you now.
And we are hoping you knew all along,
How much you meant to us.
For What is it to Die?
From The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
God Saw You Getting Tired
Author unknown
God saw you getting tired,
When a cure was not to be.
So He wrapped his arms around you, and whispered, “Come to me.”
You didn’t deserve what you went through, So He gave you rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful, He only takes the best.
And when I saw you sleeping,
So peaceful and free from pain I could not wish you back To suffer that again.
Gone Only From Our Sight
Words found in the wallet of an Israeli Army colonel, 1948
I am standing on the seashore.
Suddenly a ship at my side
Spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
And starts out for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength
And I stand and watch her
Until at length she is only a ribbon of white cloud
Just above where sea and sky mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says,
“There! She’s 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 just as able to bear her load of living freight
To the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her,
And just at the moment when someone at my side says
“There! She’s gone!”
There are other voices ready to take the glad shout, “There! She comes!”
And that is dying.
Immortality
by Mary E. Frye
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 diamond glints of snow;
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle autumn’s rain;
When you awaken in the morning’s hush; I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds’ encircled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
Our Last Awakening
by John Donne
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven; to enter that gate and dwell in that house where there shall be no darkness or dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity; in the habitations of thy glory and dominion, world without end.
In the Garden of Dreams
by Louise Chandler Moulton
As the wind at play with a spark
Of fire that glows through the night;
As the speed of the soaring lark That wings to the sky his flight;
So swiftly thy soul has sped
On its upward, wonderful way, Like the lark, when the dawn is red, In search of the shining day.
Thou art not with the frozen dead
Whom earth in the earth we lay,
While the bearers softly tread,
And the mourners kneel and pray;
From thy semblance, dumb and stark,
The soul has taken its flight Out of the finite dark,
Into the Infinite Light.
In Our Hearts
The time has come and now we part,
With thoughts of you, so close to our hearts.
The loss is like a burning pain,
We would give it all to see you again.
But no -you’re gone
We know in time the pain will fade away.
The thoughts and memories will still be there, In our hearts you’ll always stay.
Gone Only From Our Sight
Words found in the wallet of an Israeli Army colonel, 1948
I am standing on the seashore.
Suddenly a ship at my side
Spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
And starts out for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength
And I stand and watch her
Until at length she is only a ribbon of white cloud
Just above where sea and sky mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says,
“There! She’s 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 just as able to bear her load of living freight
To the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her,
And just at the moment when someone at my side says
“There! She’s gone!”
There are other voices ready to take the glad shout, “There! She comes!”
And that is dying.
Immortality
by Mary E. Frye
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 diamond glints of snow;
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle autumn’s rain;
When you awaken in the morning’s hush; I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds’ encircled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.
Memories and Peace
by Gloria Matthew
Why smile in such sadness?
It’s because of the memories of laughter shared in the past.
The humour of life, the fun and the joy, The reminiscences certain to last.
Why relief in such sadness?
It’s because there is peace
With no more chance of pain No one can hurt, nor take away There will never be fear again.
Love and Go On
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 will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see 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 her and only that she is 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 would want:
Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
Miss Me — But Let Me Go
by Edgar Albert Guest
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 we once 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’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.
Song of the Drifter
by Barry Crump
I’ve cut me load and that’s me song — it’s time I hit the track, I’ve been round here for far too long
And now I’m headin’ back.
I’m splittin’ from this worn out scene,
I’m packin’ up me gear.
I’m takin’ off for pastures green,
I’m snatchin’ it from here.
I’ve heard the things they said to me,
I’ve bogged meself in stuff,
I’ve took responsibility
And now I’ve had enough.
So good luck mate — I’m movin’ on,
I’ll leave the place to you,
And if they ask you where I’ve gone,
Just tell them I shot through.
And if we meet some other place,
No stranger will you be,
I’ll remember name and face, You’ve all been good to me.
I’ll greet you like a brother,
I’ll make you laugh somehow, And then one day I’ll drift away, Just like I’m doin’ now.
One at Rest
Think of me as one at rest,
For me you should not weep.
I have no pain, no troubled thoughts, For I am just asleep.
The living, thinking me that was
Is now forever still,
And life goes on without me Just as time forever will.
If your sad heart is heavy now
Because I’ve gone away; Think not long upon it friend
For none of us can stay.
Those of you who liked me; I thank you one and all.
And those of you who loved me; I thank you most of all.
The answer to life’s riddle In life I never knew.
I go in hope that now I will, And even so will you.
Oh foolish, foolish me that was,
Poor I who was so small;
To have wondered, even worried At the mystery of it all.
And in my fleeting lifespan As time went rushing by;
I had some time to hesitate; To laugh, to love, to cry.
Matters it not if time began;
If time will ever cease; I was here — I used I all,
And now I am at peace.
Song of the River
by William Randolph Hearst
The snow melts on the mountain
And the water runs down to the spring,
And the spring in a turbulent fountain, with a song of youth sing,
Runs down to the riotous river
And the river flows to the sea,
And the water again
Goes back in rain
To the hills where it used to be.
And I wonder if life’s deep mystery
Isn’t much like the rain and the snow Returning through all eternity to the places it used to know.
For life was born on the lofty heights
And flows in a laughing stream
To the river below
Whose onward flow
Ends in a peaceful dream.
And so at last,
When our life has passed
And the river has run its course,
It again goes back,
O’er the selfsame track,
To the mountain which was its source.
So why prize life
Or why fear death,
Or dread what is to be?
The river ran
Its allotted span
Till it reached the silent sea.
Then the water harked back To the mountain-top
To begin its course once more.
So we shall run
The course begun
Till we reach the silent shore.
Then revisit earth
In a pure rebirth
From the heart of the virgin snow
So don’t ask why
We live or die,
Or whither, or when we go, Or wonder about the mysteries That only God may know.
Stranger at Our Side
All through life’s day,
you walk with us Lord.
But often we don’t recognize you
for we are blinded by work and worry, doubt, confusion
and fear, and so you remain a stranger to us.
Before the day’s end we will ask many questions,
experience many sorrows and disappointments. And then suddenly,
whether we are young, middle-aged or old,
we will find that night is falling.
In that moment we pray that like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, our eyes will be opened, and that we will recognize of you.
And you will not vanish from our sight,
but stay with us
to guide us to the Father’s house.
Swiftly Beyond Our Measure
Author unknown
Swiftly beyond our measure
Life’s little day speeds on A moment’s fleeting pleasure And life and light are gone.
Oh thou who in human fashion,
Didst render up thy breath, And by the bitter passion
Destroy the sting of death.
When life’s brief day is over,
Its toil and care and sin Open thine arms of mercy,
And take the weary in.
The Broken Chain
We little knew that morning that God was to call your name, in life we loved you dearly; in death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you, the day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories; your love is still our guide, and though we cannot see you, you are always at our side.
Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, But as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.
The Harvest is not Here
The painter Vincent Van Gogh died at the age of thirty-seven. The day after his death a few of his friends came and decked out the small room where his coffin lay with some of his paintings.
It was only then that they realized how beautiful those paintings were.
Today his canvasses are almost beyond price.
Yet only one of them was sold while he was still alive. It was sold for just a few hundred francs.
This illustrates the truth of what he himself once said:
“Life is only a kind of sowing;
The harvest is not here.”
The Last Rose
by Patience Strong
A red petal dropped from the last crimson rose
And it seemed that the sky turned to grey
As round the old garden the sad whisper went “The Summer has ended today”.
A bird voiced its grief from the gloom of the hedge
As the petals fell down on the grass A shuddering sigh shook the tattered old tree With the knowledge that beauty must pass.
But the death of the rose cannot shatter our faith
Nature works in mysterious ways
For the roses must die to awaken again In the glory of blue Summer days.
And so when the Summer of living is spent
Should we tremble in Autumn’s cold breath?
If Nature insists on decay and rebirth
Need we fear the change we call Death?
The Harvest is not Here
The painter Vincent Van Gogh died at the age of thirty-seven. The day after his death a few of his friends came and decked out the small room where his coffin lay with some of his paintings.
It was only then that they realized how beautiful those paintings were.
Today his canvasses are almost beyond price.
Yet only one of them was sold while he was still alive. It was sold for just a few hundred francs.
This illustrates the truth of what he himself once said:
“Life is only a kind of sowing;
The harvest is not here.”
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want,
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
He restores my soul and guides me in the right pathways, For His name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me,
Your rod and staff comfort me,
You spread a table before me,
In the presence of those who trouble me,
You have anointed my head with oil
And my cup overflows,
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
All the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The Prophet
by Khalil Gibran
Then Al Mitra spoke, saying, “We would ask now of Death.” And he said: You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life? The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light. If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one; even as the river and the sea are one. In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond; and like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring. Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour. Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king? Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
The Worth of a Man
Not how did he die but how did he live, not what did he gain but what did he give, these are the units to measure the worth, of a man as a man — regardless of birth.
Not what was his station but had he a heart, and how did he play his God-given part, was he ever ready with a word of good cheer, to bring back a smile or banish a tear.
Not what was his church or what was his creed,
But had he befriended those really in need,
Not what did the words in the newspaper say,
But how many were sorry when he passed away.
There is No Death
by Helen Steiner Rice
There is no night without a dawning,
No winter without a spring,
And beyond death’s dark horizon, our hearts once more will sing.
For those who leave us for a while,
Have only gone away,
Out of a restless, careworn world,
Into a brighter day,
Where there will be no partings,
And time is not counted by years,
Where there are no trials or troubles,
No worries, no cares and no tears.
This Heritage
They are not dead
Who leave this great heritage of remembered joy
They still live in our hearts
In the happiness we knew
In the dreams we shared
They still breathe
In the lingering fragrance
Wind-blown from their favourite flowers
They still smile in the moonlight’s silver
And laugh in the sunlight’s sparkling gold
They still speak
In the echoes of words we’ve heard them say
Again and again
They still move
In the rhythm of moving grasses
In the dance of 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.
Tribute to a Father
His charming ways and smiling face;
Are a pleasure to recall; He had a kindly word for each; And died beloved by all.
He suffered patiently and long;
His hope was bright,
His faith was strong,
The peace of Jesus filled his breast;
And in His arms he sank to rest.
All his toils and conflicts o’er.
Lo, he dwells with Christ above; Oh, what glories he’s discovered; In the Saviour whom he loved.
You’re not forgotten father, dear;
Nor ever shall you be;
As long as life and memory last; I shall remember thee.
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
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.
I know how much you love me;
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me, I know you’ll miss me too.
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name, and took me by the hand.
There is No Death
by Helen Steiner Rice
There is no night without a dawning,
No winter without a spring,
And beyond death’s dark horizon, our hearts once more will sing.
For those who leave us for a while,
Have only gone away,
Out of a restless, careworn world,
Into a brighter day,
Where there will be no partings,
And time is not counted by years,
Where there are no trials or troubles,
No worries, no cares and no tears.
You Never Said Goodbye
You never said “I’m leaving”.
You never said goodbye.
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knows why.
A million times I needed you, A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a special place,
That no one could ever fill.
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn’t go alone
For part of me went with you, The day God took you home.
The Dash
I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his tombstone from the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came his date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears. But he said what mattered most of all was the ‘dash’ between the years.
For that ‘dash’ represents all the time
That he spent alive on earth.
And only those who loved him
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’d 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’s true and real, and always try to understand The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
And show our appreciation more and love the people in our lives Like we’ve 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’s being read
With your life’s actions to rehash Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent your ‘dash’?
You Never Said Goodbye
You never said “I’m leaving”.
You never said goodbye.
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knows why.
A million times I needed you, A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.
In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a special place,
That no one could ever fill.
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn’t go alone
For part of me went with you, The day God took you home.