Poems - General
‘He is gone’ by David Harkins
(gender can be adapted i.e she,her)
You can shed tears that he is gone,
or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him,
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 only that he is gone,
or you can cherish his 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'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
'His Journey’s Just Begun' by Ellen Brenneman
(gender can be adapted i.e she,her )
Don’t think of him as gone away
his journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how he must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of him as living
in the hearts of those he touched...
for nothing loved is ever lost
and he was loved so much.
‘Remember me’ by Anthony Dowson
Speak of me as you have always done.
Remember the good times, laughter, and fun.
Share the happy memories we've made.
Do not let them wither or fade.
I'll be with you in the summer's sun
And when the winter's chill has come.
I'll be the voice that whispers in the breeze.
I'm peaceful now, put your mind at ease.
I've rested my eyes and gone to sleep,
But memories we've shared are yours to keep.
Sometimes our final days may be a test,
But remember me when I was at my best.
Although things may not be the same,
Don't be afraid to use my name.
Let your sorrow last for just a while.
Comfort each other and try to smile.
I've lived a life filled with joy and fun.
Live on now, make me proud of what you'll become.
‘Remember me’ by Margaret Mead
To the living, I am gone.
To the sorrowful, I will never return.
To the angry, I was cheated.
But to the happy, I am at peace.
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore, gazing at a beautiful sea – remember me.
As you look in awe at a mighty forest and its grand majesty – remember me.
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity – remember me.
Remember me in your heart, your thoughts, your memories of the times we loved, the times we cried, the times we fought, the times we laughed.
For if you think of me, I will never be gone.
‘Remember me’ by Christina Rossetti
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.
'Let me go' by Christina Rossetti
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
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 to the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
‘Do not stand at my grave and weep’ by Clare Harner
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 circling flight.
I am the day transcending night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
'Afterglow' by Helen Lowrie Marshall
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.
‘Still’ by Char March
Listen. There is this silence now. This stillness.
Gradually we will get used to it. But, for now,
It is strange. You have left such a gap.
Our world is in shock, holding its breath
But listen closer – all your laughter, all your love
is still ringing out. Still holding us.
All our memories of you are still with us.
All the love we shared is still in every one of us.
And although we ache from this loss of you,
you will always be here – as still and steady,
and fierce, as any star.
Look. You are shining
bright through all our skies.
We thank you
for sharing your life with us.
‘I’d like to think’ by Edgar A Guest
I’d like to think when life is done
That I had filled a needed post
That here and there I’d paid my fare
With more than idle talk and boast
That I had taken gifts divine
The breath of life and manhood free
And tried to use them now and then
In service to my fellow man.
‘What is success?’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson
What is success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate the beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!
‘When I'm Gone’ by Lyman Hancock
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 my 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 for a day,
But in summer just gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay.
And come in the shade of the evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best.
'I’m there within your heart' Author unknown
Right now I'm in a different place,
And though we seem apart,
I'm closer than I ever was,
I'm there within your heart.
I'm with you when you greet each day,
And while the sun shines bright,
I'm there to share the sunsets too,
I'm with you every night.
I'm with you when the times are good
To share a laugh or two.
And if a tear should start to fall,
I'll still be there for you.
And when the day arrives
That we no longer are apart,
I'll smile and hold you close to me,
Forever on my heart
‘I will not die an unlived life’ by Dawna Markova
I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible;
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.
‘Instruction’ by Arnold Compton
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 fall 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,
Sleep beneath the stars, swim a cold river,
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,
When you give yourself in love,
I shall be very close to you.
I have followed the valleys,
I have climbed the heights of life.
'I Think of You’ by Humanist Celebrant Christopher Geake
I think of you as I gently drift into sleep at the end of the day.
When I wake in the darkness of the night,
I think of you.
As the new day begins,
I think of you.
Many times through the day,
distracted from my tasks and concerns,
I think of you.
As I depart this life, I shall be thinking of you.
And though you left before me,
you will live, as long as I live,
as I lovingly think of you and all you meant to me.
That's why, in everything I do,
I think of you.
‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.
‘Weep Not For Me’ Author unknown
Weep not for me though I have gone
Into that gentle night
Grieve if you will, but not for long
Upon my soul’s sweet flight
I am at peace, my soul’s at rest
There is no need for tears
For with your love I was so blessed
For all those many years
There is no pain, I suffer not
The fear is now all gone
Put now these things out of your thoughts
In your memory, I live on
Remember not my fight for breath
Remember not the strife
Please do not dwell upon my death
But celebrate my life
‘One At Rest’ Author unknown
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 now, as time forever will.
If your heart is heavy now because I've gone away
Dwell not long upon it friend for none of us can stay.
Those of you who liked me, I sincerely thank you all
And those of you who loved me, I thank you most of all.
And in my fleeting lifespan, as time went rushing by
I found some time to hesitate, to laugh, to love, to cry.
Matters it now if time began, if time will ever cease?
I was here, I used it all, and now I am at peace.
‘What Will Matter’ by Michael Josephson
Live a life that matters.
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant
Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s not a matter of circumstance, but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
‘You Meant So Much’ by Cassie Mitchell
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.
‘Funeral Blues’ by W H Auden
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 for ever: 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.
‘If I Should Go’ by Joyce Grenfell
If I should go before the rest of you
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone
Nor when I'm gone speak in a Sunday voice
But be the usual selves that I have known
Weep if you must
Parting is hell
But life goes on
So sing as well
‘A Life Well Lived’ Author Unknown
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
‘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 tombstone
From the beginning to the end
He noted that first came her date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But she 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’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 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 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?
‘The Family Tree’ Author Unknown
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 life, don’t worry about falls
I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin.
Until the day we’re together again.
‘Our Family Circle has been broken’ Author unknown
A link gone from our chain;
But though we’re parted for a while ;
I know we’ll meet again.
Some day, we know not when;
We shall meet in a better land;
And never part again.
We shall meet with many a loved one;
That was torn from our embrace;
We shall listen to their voices;
And behold them face to face.
Sunshine passes, shadows fall;
Loves remembrance outlasts all.
‘My Memory Library’ by Sarah Blackstone
Imagine if I was given one moment,
just a single slice of my past.
I could hold it close forever,
and that moment would always last.
I'd put the moment in a safe,
within my heart's abode.
I could open it when I wanted,
and only I would know the code.
I could choose a time of laughing,
a time of happiness and fun.
I could choose a time that tried me
through everything I've done.
I sat and thought about what moment
would always make me smile.
One that would always push me
to walk that extra mile.
If I'm feeling sad and low,
if I'm struggling with what to do,
I can go and open my little safe
and watch my moment through.
There are moments I can think of
that would lift my spirits every time.
The moments when you picked me up,
when the road was hard to climb.
For me to only pick one moment
to cherish, save and keep
is proving really difficult,
as I've gathered up a heap!
I've dug deep inside my heart,
found the safe and looked inside
There was room for lots of moments;
in fact, hundreds if I tried.
I'm building my own little library,
embedded in my heart,
for all the moments spent with you
before you had to part.
I can open it up whenever I like,
pick a moment and watch it through,
My little library acts as a promise
I'll never ever forget you.
‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
‘They sit together on the porch’ by Wendell Berry
They sit together on the porch, the dark
Almost fallen, the house behind them dark.
Their supper done with, they have washed and dried
The dishes–only two plates now, two glasses,
Two knives, two forks, two spoons–small work for two.
She sits with her hands folded in her lap,
At rest. They do not speak,
And when they speak at last it is to say
What each one knows the other knows. They have
One mind between them, now, that finally
For all its knowing will not exactly know
Which one goes first through the dark doorway, bidding
Goodnight, and which sits on a while alone.
‘There are no boring people in this world’ by Yevgeny Yevtushenko.
There are no boring people in this world.
Each fate is like the history of a planet.
And no two planets are alike at all.
Each is distinct – you simply can’t compare it.
If someone lived without attracting notice
and made a friend of their obscurity –
then their uniqueness was precisely this.
Their very plainness made them interesting.
Each person has a world that’s all their own.
Each of those worlds must have its finest moment
and each must have its hour of bitter torment –
and yet, to us, both hours remain unknown.
When people die, they do not die alone.
They die along with their first kiss, first combat.
They take away their first day in the snow …
All gone, all gone – there’s just no way to stop it.
There may be much that’s fated to remain,
but something – something leaves us all the same.
The rules are cruel, the game nightmarish –
it isn’t people but whole worlds that perish.
'Walk Within You' by Nicholas Evans
If I be the first of us to die,
Let grief not blacken long your sky.
Be bold yet modest in your grieving.
There is a change but not a leaving.
For just as death is part of life,
The dead live on forever in the living.
And all the gathered riches of our journey,
The moments shared, the mysteries explored,
The steady layering of intimacy stored,
The things that made us laugh or weep or sing,
The joy of sunlit snow or first unfurling of the spring,
The wordless language of look and touch,
The knowing,
Each giving and each taking,
These are not flowers that fade,
Nor trees that fall and crumble,
Nor are they stone,
For even stone cannot the wind and rain withstand
And mighty mountain peaks in time reduce to sand.
What we were, we are.
What we had, we have.
A conjoined past imperishably present.
So when you walk the wood where once we walked together
And scan in vain the dappled bank beside you for my shadow,
Or pause where we always did upon the hill to gaze across the land,
And spotting something, reach by habit for my hand,
And finding none, feel sorrow start to steal upon you,
Be still…..Close your eyes….
Breathe.
Listen for my footfall in your heart.
I am not gone but merely walk within you.
'People Are Like Snowflakes' by Brenda Arledge
She feels like a child
às her eyes peer through a pane of glass,
seeing those soft cotton puffs
glittering like diamonds.
She watches them fall gracefully out of the sky,
dancing in the moonlight,
shimmering with a silver tint
before dropping to the ground.
Each one unique and needed
in its own way,
making up a white blanket
to cover the land.
It reminds her how fragile and delicate life can be
with all its twists and turns,
with each one of us
playing an important role
in this vast universe.
‘They are not dead’ by Toni Kane
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 part of us,
For love is eternal,
And those we love shall be with us throughout all eternity.
'Think Of Me' by Emilie Lauren Jones, Coventry’s Poet Laureate
(Perfect for someone colourful)
Don’t think of me in black and grey
but as forests and the oceans spray,
lemons ripening in the sun,
rivers racing then calm and still.
Remember redness in my cheeks
after standing in the breeze
or from long walks in the snow –
Remember me, the one you know.
Don’t dream of me in black and grey
think of me as strawberries,
and raindrops glistening in the trees.
Remember orange in my laugh,
and pansies, pinks and violets.
Don’t picture me in black and grey,
that’s not who I was or am today.
Don’t see me as a ghostly shadow,
or something that you just imagine,
don’t see me as black and grey,
not now, tomorrow or yesterday.
Remember gold in my kisses,
turquoise music, silver wishes,
beating hearts as we cuddled,
aqua reflections in purple puddles.
All I ask – remember me,
who I was and will still be.
'Don’t Miss Me More Than Once A Day' by Donna Ashworth
Don’t miss me more than once a day,
For life is moving fast.
Don’t wish all of your time away,
Dreaming of the past.
Don’t waste the moment looking at,
The things I left behind me.
I’m not within those walls or boxes
The heart is where you’ll find me.
Don’t dread to say my name, sweet one,
Don’t fear the wrath of sadness.
Just take the love you had for me,
And turn it into gladness.
Don’t worry when my birthday comes
Don’t feel me missing more.
I’m filled with love you’re sending me,
Just as I was before.
Some days your anger will rush out,
Your tears will find their way.
To me, wherever I am then.
I’ll soothe them all away.
When I am gone don’t miss me more,
Than once, or twice a day.
There’s so much life to live, my love.
I’m with you, all the way.
'When I’m no longer here' by Donna Ashworth
When I’m no longer here,
say my name to call me near.
I will calm your disarray,
move the mountains from your way.
I will dry your falling tears,
whisper comfort in your ear.
When I’m no longer here,
say my name to call me near.
When I’m a glowing star,
do not think of me as far.
I am with your inner child,
hoping you’ll embrace your wild.
Seeking joy in every day,
finding jewels of light in grey.
When I’m a glowing star,
do not think of me as far.
When I’m no longer here,
let me rid your heart of fear,
put it down upon the floor,
I’ll take it from your door.
Give me then your worry too,
let me carry it for you.
When I’m no longer here,
let me rid your heart of fear.
'Our Lives Go On Without You' Author Unknown
Our lives go on without you,
But nothing is the same,
We have to hide our heartache,
When someone speaks your name,
Sad are the hearts that love you,
Silent are the tears that fall,
Living without you is the hardest part of all,
You did so many things for us,
Your heart was so kind and true,
And when we needed someone,
We could always count on you,
The special years will not return,
When we are all together,
But with the love in our hearts,
You walk with us forever.
'Grief' by Carol Ann Duffy
Grief, your gift, unwrapped,
my empty hands made heavy,
holding when they held you
like an ache; unlooked for,
though my eyes stare inward now
at where you were, my star, my star;
and undeserved, the perfect choice
for one with everything, humbling
my heart; unwanted, too, my small voice
lost for words to thank you with; unusual,
how it, given, grows to fill a day, a night,
a week, a month, teaching its text,
love’s spinster twin, my head bowed,
learning, learning; understood.
'The Absence Of You' lyrics from the song by Tim Minchin
I don't know
What all of this means
If you are not here with me
And I am lost
When we are apart
There's a hole in my heart
That light passes through
And the pattern it creates
Is the shape of the absence of you
I don't know
What all this is for
If you are not near to me
And I can't sleep
Sleep is no fun when the unruly sun
Will reveal the truth
A space in my bed as cold as the dead
Exactly the size and the shape of the absence of you
And all of this beauty runs over and through me
And pools 'round my shoes
And the puddle it forms
Conforms to the shape of
The absence of you
‘I'm there inside your heart’ Author unknown
Right now I'm in a different place
And though we seem apart
I'm closer than I ever was,
I'm there inside your heart.
I'm with you when you greet each day
And while the sun shines bright
I'm there to share the sunsets, too
I'm with you every night.
I'm with you when the times are good
To share a laugh or two,
And if a tear should start to fall
I'll still be there for you.
And when that day arrives
That we no longer are apart,
I'll smile and hold you close to me,
Forever in my heart.
‘You Are’ by John F Connor
You are the waves that crash upon the shore
You are the wind that blows through the trees
You are the golden sunset
You are the summer breeze
You are a child's laughter
You are the birds that sing
You are the autumn and winter
You are the summer and you are the spring
You are the golden sun
You are the moon and night
You are the green fields I roam
You are the stars that shine so bright
You are the air I breathe
You are my heart that beats inside
You are every emotion that I feel
You are love and hope and pride
You are everything
You are near and yet so far
But everywhere I look
I know is where you are
'Death is nothing at all' by Henry Scott Holland
(written for his wife before he died)
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped 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 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.
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 shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it 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.
'Feel No Guilt in Laughter' Author unknown
Feel no guilt in laughter, he’d know how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile that he is not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever; he would not want you to.
He’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour or a day,
That brings him back as clearly as though he were still here,
And fills you with the feeling that he is always near.
For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And he will live forever locked safely within your heart.
'To My Invisible Warriors' Amelia Blackwater
We are fighters
our illness does not define us
it gives us strength
that others do not have
beauty that shines
through darkness
because we are capable of
moving mountains with
our hearts
'They never saw you' Author unknown
(for dementia)
They never saw you in your spring,
When you were you and felt the breeze,
Upon your skin. And through the trees,
You walked between.
Whose Latin names that father knew,
When he was he, and you were you.
But now you sit in stagnant air,
Vague faces gather round your chair.
And though kind words the carers bring,
They never saw you in your spring.
I never saw you in your spring,
But listened to your tales of old,
I loved to hear those stories told!
We miss her now, it’s clear to see.
In truth, we’ve missed her for some time.
There is a difference – clear to see,
In living, and being alive.
And live she did, all here would tell.
She lived for all, and joy she’d bring
For those of us who knew her well,
And those who saw her in her spring.
'Walking with Grief' by Andy Raine
Do not hurry as you walk with grief
It does not help the journey
Walk slowly, pausing often
Do not hurry as you walk with grief
Be not disturbed by memories that come unbidden
Swiftly forgive and let unspoken words,
unfinished conversations be resolved in your memories
Be not disturbed
Be gentle with the one who walks with grief
If it is you, be gentle with yourself
Swiftly forgive, walk slowly, pause often, take time
Be gentle as you walk with grief
'Don't Remember Me With Sadness' Author unknown
Don’t remember me with sadness,
Don’t remember me with tears,
Remember all the laughter,
We’ve shared throughout the years.
Now I am contented,
That my life it was worthwhile,
Knowing that as I passed along the way,
I made somebody smile.
When you are walking down the street,
And you’ve got me on your mind,
I’m walking in your footsteps,
Only half a step behind.
So please don’t be unhappy,
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you,
Each morning, noon and night.