Funeral Poems

Let these funeral poems give you words that express thoughts about dying and loved ones. May they be ones that you share with others at their time of sorrow.

Love Never Dies ( The Passing of a Friend )
Poet: Joseph L. Campanello, ©2018

Love never dies,
Nor does it disappear forever
With the passing of a friend:
It simply changes channels, so to speak,
And moves to a wavelength we cannot
Now hear or touch or see with our eyes,
Waiting for us there; nothing can sever
That connection, for love never ends.

Love never ends,
Though the universe itself will pass away,
Though the stars will burst, the planets crumble,
All that seems solid will turn to dust and ashes,
Time itself will cease, like a broken old clock,
Hate and malice the Lord will rend,
But through it all, till the Judgment Day,
Love will endure, though all else may tumble.

Love never lies,
Nor ever misleads or deceives,
Truth Himself told us He defeated death,
Love Himself promised to return for us,
We have His word that we love for eternity,
That love wonï¿½t end in grief and sighs,
That life never ends for him who believes,
That Heaven begins with our last breath.

No, love never dies,
We shall meet again,
Only a brief interruption occasioned
By the passing of a friend.

Inspirational Quotes

Don’t Bring Me Flowers
Poet: Greta Zwaan, ©2018

Please, don’t bring flowers to my grave, unless theyï¿½re from your garden.
I have no qualms with greenhouse trade, and so I beg their pardon.
But I can’t smell them when I’m gone or find joy in their beauty,
And, you donï¿½t owe me anything; please, donï¿½t think it’s your duty.

The thing I ask that you should think is about the living;
Of souls who have not heard Godï¿½s Word, that’s where you should be giving.
Hear missions cry for funds abroad, Oh, hear their desperate pleading!
They long to do the work of God, those hungry souls need feeding.

For every rose you’d give, a Bible would be better,
A rose cannot convey God’s truth, a rose is not His letter.
A rose can’t buy a loaf of bread, or help a crying nation,
When thirst and hunger fill their lives then where is their salvation?

The money that you’d spend on me to make my grave attractive,
Might last for just a day or two but soon become inactive.
The rose will die, the flowers fade, just like the grave they cover;
Their fragrance cast upon the wind as in the air they hover.

But think of all the good you’d do and oh, how it would bless them,
To give the funds to serve the need for things that so distress them.
Yes, missions needs it more than I, my time has no more measure;
My soul has left the empty tomb; I’ve found my heavenly treasure.

So bring good news to souls abroad, and PLEASE! Don’t bring me flowers,
God’s heav’nly garden’s all I need, I walk in His rose bowers.
But you on earth, your job’s not done, your mission still means sharing;
Not for the dead with sweet bouquets, but for the needy, caring.

The Bible is very clear on life and death.
Death is not the end but a beginning.
Jason A. Ponzio
Death

Do Not Stand By My Grave And Weep
Poet: Mary Elizabeth 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 the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

There is no cure for grief which time does not lessen and soften.
Cicero
Grief

Death In Disguise
Poet: Unknown

Out of Earth’s weariness, trial, and sorrow,
Out of its hopes and its fears for the morrow,
Out of its restless unsatisfied yearnings.
Out of the fever of human heart-burnings,
Out of the dangers of doubt and temptations,
Out of the griefs of deplored separations.
Out of the pain of night-watching, removed
Into the sleep that God gives His Beloved:
Into the dawn of a glad Resurrection,
Into the home of unbroken affection,
Into the joy of the Lord, thence confessing
Death in disguise is His Angel of Blessing.

...not stars but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are happy
Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in heaven
where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are happy.
Author Unknown
Sympathy

Silence Gives No Comfort
Poet: Greta Zwaan, 2018

Stillness is no remedy for a heart that is distraught,
Loneliness is torture when comfort’s being sought.
Silence is a burden when all I want is gone,
Laughter is now missing but grief still lingers on.

I long to hear you singing as you so loved to do,
I want to watch the sun set as I sit next to you.
I want to go on journeys, the ones we planned to take,
To view the sights together as we sit by the lake.
For years we’ve been too busy, weï¿½re always on the run,
Too many obligations, so much had to be done.
When sunset years approached us, it caught us by surprise,
We were so far from ready; we didn’t realize
That all our days are numbered, extensions don’t exist.
We need to use each moment so they will not be missed.

The time that makes a memory, the wink that makes you smile;
The silly, funny moments, the ones that are worthwhile.
The things that might seem trivial are worth their weight in gold,
The gestures that seem common are now the ones you hold.

The hurt lies in the silence where laughter should have been
And turned my light to darkness, so deep and unforeseen.
Where do I turn for comfort? Where can I find relief?
Who else has known such sorrow, who else has known such grief?

Then God responds with answers for which I long had sought,
That memory, long forgotten, were truths I had been taught.
God is my true companion; He walks with me each day,
Despair need not be present; His light will guide the way.

I cannot hold you near me, except within my heart,
But one day I will join you, and all grief will depart.
Till then I’ll tread on bravely, I know Iï¿½m not alone;
And when my work is finished my Lord will call me home.

God shall wipe all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21: 4
God

Parting
Poet: Henry Reed Conant

The deepest sorrow fills the heart
To see our loved ones perish;
But soon or late we all must part
With those we fondly cherish.

The tie must break with friend and friend:
The true and noble-hearted
Must one day reach their journey’s end,
To join the dear departed.

Why mourn we, then, for those who cross
The intervening river?
Although to us a heavy loss,
To them is joy forever.

Accolades For God
Poet: Greta Zwaan, © 2008

On the day of my demise, when my earthly journey’s done,
My work has been accomplished, my races have been run;
My heart’s no longer beating, my soul has found its rest,
The plans which once so important, to which I gave my best,
Have passed onto another, to further be pursued,
The efforts of a lifetime, through new eyes will be viewed.

I may receive the credit, perhaps there’s even praise,
But I cannot acknowledge when I’ve run out of days.
Besides, that does not matter, why accolades are brought,
My ears won’t hear the virtues that many might have sought.

I’d like the recognition that my life has made a mark;
That souls were snatched from darkness in which I lit the spark.
That broken hearts were mended when God took o’er the reigns,
Because I brought the message that Christ can make a change.

That I had proven faithful and that I’d done His will;
By following His instructions and heard His “Peace be still.”
I would not run before Him, I know that He should lead,
And when I grew impatient t’would be His voice I’d heed.

I pray that by example, I’ve caused the world to see,
The joy of doing service, of seeing Christ, not me.
That His name would be honoured, His perfect will be done,
That God receives the glory, as well as Christ, His Son.

Inhabiting reality; stepping into the pain. Letting it wash over you,
pounding and wounding ï¿½ this is the challenge of grief.
It’s learning to tolerate discomfort,
to look heartbreak in the eye and still breathe.
Ruth E. Field, The 4 Facets of Grief
Words of Encouragement

Grief, so overwhelming, our hearts near cease to beat,
Sorrow, so depriving, such cruelty, such defeat;
The rising tide of anguish, the constant flow of tears,
The future so uncertain, our hearts so filled with tears.

Why must we reap such sadness? What cause for all this woe?
Why face such condemnation? Death – our eternal foe?
Such hurt, such pain, such torment, my life can find no peace,
My burdened soul feels tortured, my groaning will not cease.

Why God? Why all this suffering? Why have I been bereft?
Why draw me in death’s orbit? Now what in life is left?
How can I deal with sadness that penetrates my soul?
What purpose now in living? I am no longer whole.

Lord, where do I find comfort? What source to ease my pain?
Who mends the broken-hearted? How long does grief remain?
Is there a grave for sorrow to bury my despair?
A sea of no retrieval where I can shed my care?

Yes! Christ, the burden bearer, the nail scarred hands of hope;
He rescues the despondent, enables them to cope.
His love is so far reaching, His grace, His peace, His care;
Will heal the broken hearted, just leave your sorrows there.

My Beloved
Poet: Emma Ring Daly

Beloved, there is no death! I saw the soul
Of you arise and take its final flight,
And this thin veil that hides you from my sight
Is but the hand that purged and made you whole.

Since all is done your splendid deeds unrool
A glowing page as proof you stood for right;
You lived each day and made the gallant fight,
With everlasting life the cherished goal.

Tears won’t wash away my grief, stress can’t heal my sorrow;
Far within the depths of pain I think not of tomorrow.
There is no future left for me, all my dreams are shattered;
The one I loved and held so dear, the only one that mattered

Has suddenly been snatched away, so swift and without warning,
I’m stunned! I see the empty chair, what’s left for me but mourning?
I don’t know how to carry on, for me there’s no desire;
There’s nothing left to fill my life; no future to inspire.

Our lives, entwined, were truly one, our goals we sought together,
We traveled down the road of life through storm or sunny weather.
We planned ahead, we set out goals, our thoughts were for each other,
So many things were left undone; it’s in my grief I’ll smother!

Kindly words and generous deeds and comfort has been given,
My broken heart, my empty arms, that’s why I feel so driven.
LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE! Let me be! Your comfort cannot reach me;
Your words are falling on deaf ears, your pleas cannot beseech me.

Then, in the stillness of my soul, a still small voice is pleading;
“Give your grief to Me, My child.” I ponder o’er this greeting.
“I too have suffered terrible loss, I understand your heartache,
I know the sorrow that you feel. Why go on? For who’s sake?

But trust Me, I am here for you, this valley’s not forever,
When the veil of darkness lifts, in time, your grief will sever.”
And slowly, as I lift my head, a touch of hope arises,
If God can bring me through this vale, the chance is, I’ll survive this.
Can one tiny spark of light, one almost dying ember,
Renew my faith, restore my soul, and cause me to remember?
I wonder, could I trust again? And would my faith sustain me?
Will grief diminish through the years? And would this trust maintain me?

I once walked closely with my Lord; He held my life completely,
No burden were the laws He chose, ’twas joy to live discreetly.
One thing I know: God never moved! He’s faithful and forgiving,
I must return! Acknowledge Him, He gives me hope for living.

“Dear Lord, please heal my tearstained heart, remove my grief and sorrow.
Then once more I can worship You; there’s hope, e’en for tomorrow.”

More Poems to Inspire and Encourage