Funeral Poems and Readings
Finding the right words is one of the hardest parts of planning a farewell. Whether you are looking for something to read at the service, words to include in an order of service, or simply a poem that captures what you are feeling, we hope something here helps.
These poems have been chosen because families return to them, again and again. They are grouped by relationship to make them easier to find, but many suit more than one occasion, so it is worth taking your time and reading through a few sections.
If you find yourself unsure, or if nothing here quite feels right, please reach out. We are always happy to help you find the words.
Disclaimer
A note on copyright: where a poem is in the public domain, the full text is provided here. Where a poem remains under copyright, we have linked to the author's official site rather than reproducing it, out of respect for their work. If you wish to print a poem for a funeral or memorial service, such as in an order of service, please check the author's permissions first. If you are unsure, contact us and we will do our best to help.
General Poems
These poems are not written for one specific relationship. They speak to loss and love in a universal way, and suit a wide range of services.
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Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.
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Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away to the next room. I am I and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, That, we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. 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 effect. Without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same that it ever was. There is absolute 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.
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I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying.
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One of the most widely loved contemporary funeral poems. It reflects on the dash between the dates on a headstone — not the years themselves, but how we chose to live them. A powerful reminder of what truly matters.
Read this poem on the author's site: https://www.lindaellis.net/the-dash/the-dash-poem-by-linda-ellis/
* This poem is under copyright. Please seek the author's permission before printing or reproducing it.
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When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me, I want no tears 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 your friends that we know, And bury your sorrows in doing good works, Miss me, but let me go.
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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 tears, But be thankful we had so many good years.
I gave you my love, and you can only guess How much you've given me in happiness. I thank you for the love that you have shown, But now it is time I travelled on alone.
So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must, Then let your grief be comforted by trust. It is only for a while that we must part, So treasure the memories within your heart.
I won't be far away, for life goes on. And if you need me, call and I will come. Though you can't see or touch me, I will be near, And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear All my love around you soft and clear.
And then, when you come this way alone, I'll greet you with a smile and a Welcome Home.
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Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.
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This is one of the most requested funeral poems in the world. It captures the all-consuming weight of grief, and the feeling that the world should stop because someone so important is gone. As it remains under copyright, we have linked to the full text below rather than reproducing it here. If you would like to use it in a printed order of service, please check permissions with the publisher.
Read Funeral Blues on the Poetry Foundation website: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45032/funeral-blues
Poems for Mothers
These poems honour the love, strength and presence of a mother.
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A Mother's love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may For nothing can destroy it or take that love away.
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking.
It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns, And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems.
It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation, And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation.
A many splendoured miracle man cannot understand And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand.
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If roses grow in heaven, Lord, please pick a bunch for me, Place them in my Mother's arms and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her, and when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for a while.
Because remembering her is easy, I do it every day, but there's an ache within my heart that will never go away.
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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 planned: 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.
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A poem of choice and perspective. It gently urges those left behind to honour the person they have lost by choosing love over grief -- to open their eyes to all she left behind, and to go on. As it remains under copyright, we have linked to the author's site below.
Read She Is Gone on David Harkins's website: https://www.davidharkins.co.uk/she-is-gone
Poems for Fathers
Poems for a father, or any man who was a steady and guiding presence in the lives of those he loved.
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Our father kept a garden. A garden of the heart; He planted all the good things, That gave our lives their start.
He turned us to the sunshine, And encouraged us to dream; Fostering and nurturing The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rain came, He protected us enough; But not too much because he knew We would stand up strong and tough.
His constant good example, Always taught us right from wrong; Markers for our pathway To last a lifetime long.
We are our father's garden, We are his legacy; And I hope today he feels the love Reflected back from me.
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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 I 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, how I truly was blessed.
Continue traditions, no matter how small. Go on with your lives, don't worry about falls. I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin. Until the day comes we're together again."
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You never said I'm leaving, You never said goodbye. You were gone before I knew it, And only God knew 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 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.
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Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.
Poems for Sons
The loss of a son is among the most profound a parent can bear. These poems speak to that particular love and grief.
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A life well lived is a precious gift Of hope and strength and grace, From someone who has made our world A brighter, better place.
It's filled with moments, sweet and sad, With smiles and sometimes tears, With friendships formed and good times shared And laughter through the years.
A life well lived is a legacy Of joy and pride and pleasure, A living, lasting memory Our grateful hearts will treasure.
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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 I 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, how I truly was blessed.
Continue traditions, no matter how small. Go on with your lives, don't worry about falls. I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin. Until the day comes we're together again."
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Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.
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A poem written from the perspective of the one who has died, asking those left behind not to lose themselves in grief. It ends with a gentle, loving instruction: smile, wipe away the tears, learn to love again, and go on. As it remains under copyright, we have linked to the author's site below.
Read Remember Me on David Harkins's website: https://www.davidharkins.co.uk/remember-me
Poems for Daughters
For the loss of a daughter. Many of these poems speak broadly to love and loss, and suit more than one relationship.
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A life well lived is a precious gift Of hope and strength and grace, From someone who has made our world A brighter, better place.
It's filled with moments, sweet and sad, With smiles and sometimes tears, With friendships formed and good times shared And laughter through the years.
A life well lived is a legacy Of joy and pride and pleasure, A living, lasting memory Our grateful hearts will treasure.
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If roses grow in heaven, Lord, please pick a bunch for me, Place them in my Mother's arms and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her, and when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for a while.
Because remembering her is easy, I do it every day, but there's an ache within my heart that will never go away.
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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 planned: 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.
-
A poem of choice and perspective. It gently urges those left behind to honour the person they have lost by choosing love over grief -- to open their eyes to all she left behind, and to go on. As it remains under copyright, we have linked to the author's site below.
Read She Is Gone on David Harkins's website: https://www.davidharkins.co.uk/she-is-gone
Poems for Grandparents
For the loss of a grandmother or grandfather - someone whose presence shaped an entire family.
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When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me, I want no tears 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 your friends that we know, And bury your sorrows in doing good works, Miss me, but let me go.
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Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die.
-
Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.
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A tender poem of ongoing remembrance. It speaks of thinking of the one we have lost every single day, of keeping their photo close, and of the love that death cannot take away. As it remains under copyright, we have linked to the source below.
Read We Thought of You With Love Today: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/we-thought-of-you-with-love-today
Poems for Spouse or Partner
For the loss of a husband, wife, or life partner. These poems speak to a love that was shared across a lifetime.
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How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right; I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
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If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee; If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can. I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee give recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay; The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. Then while we live, in love let's so persevere, That when we live no more, we may live ever.
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I gaze in silence at your chair and visualize you sitting there, then I recall those joyful days we shared before you went away.
Those treasured moments that we knew when first I started courting you. That precious day when we were wed, the first time that we shared our bed.
That day on which our child was born, those times long gone, but still I mourn. Just thinking of those former years still makes my eyes well up with tears.
Oh how I miss your warm embrace, no one will ever take your place. With all my heart and soul I pray that we will meet again someday.
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Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away to the next room. I am I and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, That, we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. 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 effect. Without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same that it ever was. There is absolute 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.