MEMORIAL POEMS
Here you will find Memorial Poems, Funeral Poems, Eulogy Poems and Readings to help you create a memorable funeral or memorial service.
Poems are an excellent way of expressing your sadness and grief at a time of loss when finding the right words is hard to do.
If there ever comes a day when we can't be together...Keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.~ Winnie the Pooh
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal ~ Anon
It has been said, 'time heals all wounds,' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, (protecting its sanity), covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.
~ Rose Kennedy
Something Beautiful Remains
The tide recedes but leaves behind
bright seashells in the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle
warmth still lingers on the land.
The music stops, and yet it echoes
on in sweet refrains...
For every joy that passes,
something beautiful remains.
~ Anonymous
Tree Memorial Poem
There's a very special garden
Where the trees of memory grow
Nurtured by the kindness
And concern that good friends show.
The roots are cherished memories
Of good times in the past
The branches tender promises
That souls endure and last.
It's a place of peace and beauty
Where bright new hopes can start
It's memory's lovely garden
That soothes the hurting heart.
Plant a Tree, Donate a Tree
Dr Elisabeth Kubler Ross author of the 1969 best seller, "On Death and Dying" told her own children that when she died they should release balloons in the sky to celebrate her graduation, because she believed that death is a graduation.
Poems may help you to express your thoughts and feelings about death and dying, at this time.
We have a wide choice of the best poems to read and pay tribute to a loved one at a memorial or funeral service or to include in your eulogy or speech.
You will find a selection of free funeral poems and eulogy poetry at Poem4Today.
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks
The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars. Memorials in the form of a cross are called intending crosses.
Individuals, families, or groups can purchase a memorial object such as a bench to honor someone special to you. A memorial plaque is affixed to the bench with the person's name and perhaps a short verse. This is a wonderful way to mark the passing of a loved one and to create a rest area in a scenic place they enjoyed in life.
Online Memorials
Memorial websites are perfect places to create a lasting tribute with photos, memories and comments. Donate memorial gifts, usually money, to a favorite charity, honor them with a memorial scholarship in their name or plant a tree in their memory.
You may wish to use readings or poetry during a funeral service, at a memorial service, as part of a eulogy speech or as part of an "in loving memory" tribute. Even using a short poem on the card that you send with the flowers for the funeral can help you to find the right words.
If you would like to purchase a selection of memorial and funeral poems and readings, including best poems for a funeral for the loss of a mother, father, wife, husband or a baby, or to give comfort in a time of need, please click on the link to your right, entitled
"Funeral and Memorial Service Readings, Poems and Tributes" - - - >>
The poem, Funeral Blues, by W.H. Auden, was used to such great effect in the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and is one that is most poignant.
It starts with the words...
"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone"
and finishes on a decidedly sad and thought provoking note:-
"Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good."
Looking for poems or readings to use in your eulogy or speech, visit
"Funeral and Memorial Service Readings, Poems and Tributes" - - - >>
Please submit other helpful ideas to create loving eulogies that you would like to see on this site.
I Heard Your Voice In The Wind Today
I heard your voice in the wind today
And I turned to see your face;
The warmth of the wind caressed me
As I stood silently in place.
I felt your touch in the sun today
As its warmth filled the sky;
I closed my eyes for your embrace
And my spirit soared high.
I saw your eyes in the window pane
As I watched the falling rain;
It seemed as each raindrop fell
It quietly said your name.
I held you close in my heart today
It made me feel complete;
You may have died… but you are not gone
You will always be a part of me.
As long as the sun shines…
The wind blows…
The rain falls…
You will live on inside of me forever
For that is all my heart knows.
~ Unknown
Memorial Prayer
Twenty Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul;
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
War Memorial Poems
The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust conceal'd;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air.
Wash'd by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
~ Rupert Brooke
In Flanders Fields
May 1915 2nd Battle of Ypres
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
~ John McCrae
Bless You
I do not know your name-
Nor for which battle you died.
I do not know your home,
Nor the tears that were cried.
I do not know where you rest-
Nor the promises broken.
I do not know your uniform
And your fears lay unspoken.
But, I know your spirit exists-
That your courage is admired,
And your sacrifice is honored
By each soul that's inspired.
And I offer you from my heart
Thank you, to guardians unknown
For offering yourselves for us all
That we may keep freedom...
Our home.
~ Sherrie Ball
The Longest Day
Upon the 6th of June
Remember them with pride
Men from many nations
Fighting together side by side
Let us never forget
Their bravery and sacrifice
We may have our freedom
But they paid the price
~ John F. Conner
The Poppy
I am not a badge of honour,
I am not a racist smear,
I am not a fashion statement,
To be worn but once a year,
I am not glorification
Of conflict or of war.
I am not a paper ornament
A token,
I am more.
I am a loving memory,
Of a father or a son,
A permanent reminder
Of each and every one.
I'm paper or enamel
I'm old or shining new,
I'm a way of saying thank you,
To every one of you.
I am a simple poppy
A Reminder to you all,
That courage faith and honour,
Will stand where heroes fall.
~ Paul Hunter
The Poppy
Nature created the flower
With petals of brilliant red.
Who'd have thought such a beautiful flower
Would be used to remember the dead?
For when all the guns have stopped firing
And there's only the mud and the rain
God sends down his little red flowers
To cover the lads who remain.
So remember every November
When we hold our remembrance day
Of the lads who lie neath the poppies
And the price they had to pay.
For those who fought a war for me-
For those who kept our country free.
For those who died, who lost their lives-
I bow my head to thee.
I'll never forget....
We Were Here
Upon the rugged shores of Lake Huron the
seasons have all come and gone
Of men and boats and harbors from the storm
The Lighthouse brings them back to shore, the
Lighthouse stands for so much more
In the hearts of those who keep the memories warm
Like a beacon in the night
Guide us to the Light
Shine within each heart so strong and clear
As the seasons pass in time
The past is yours and mine
Tell those who are yet to come
That we were here
Amid the daily storms of grief and strife
Adrift upone the sea of life
A ship can sometimes drift and lose her way
Living in a world of change
It's good to know that some things remain
To help us all preserve that brighter day.
~ Michael Goodwin Lyrics 2000
Memorial Poem for a Daughter
There is a gift in life we cannot buy,
That's very rare and true,
It's the gift of a wonderful daughter
Like the one we had in you.
Not a day we will ever forget you,
In our hearts you are always here.
We love and miss you always,
Precious memories keep you near.
Memorial Poem: Remembrance
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'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
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 her
and only that she's 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'd want:
Smile, Open Your Eyes,
Love and Go On.
Forever in My Heart
For all you were to me in life
And all the joy you brought,
Your memory is with me
In every single thought.
The pain I felt at losing you
Will never go away.
But knowing that you're in my heart,
Helps me through each day.
When you were here I always felt
That nothing could go wrong,
But you're still my inspiration
And your memory keeps me strong.
And though my heart is heavy
It's also full of love
And that's enough to comfort me
While you're in heaven above.
I Love and Miss You
They say memories are golden well maybe that is true;
I never wanted memories I only wanted you.
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, no one could ever fill.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist.
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles rain.
The Moment That You Died
The moment that you died
my heart was torn in two,
one side filled with heartache,
the other died with you.
I often lie awake at night,
when the world is fast asleep, and
take a walk down memory lane,
with tears upon my cheeks.
Remembering you is easy,
I do it every day,
but missing you is heartache
that never goes away.
I hold you tightly within my heart
and there you will remain.
Until the joyous day arrives,
That we will meet again.
Loss & Sympathy Poem
They say there is a reason,
They say that time will heal,
But neither time nor reason,
Will change the way I feel,
For no-one knows the heartache,
That lies behind my smile,
No-one knows how many times,
I have broken down and cried,
I want to tell you something,
So there won't be any doubt,
You're so wonderful to think of,
But so hard to be without.
Here is a Christmas Memorial Poem to comfort you at this special time of year.
Christmas Without You
Although it's sad to reminisce
On Christmases we knew,
This year I shall celebrate
In memory of you.
I will put aside my sorrow
With every unshed tear
And concentrate on all the love
We shared when you were here.
Our time together taught me
What Christmas time is for,
And that's what I'll remember
Until we meet once more.
A Teardrop In My Eye
I just found a memory
In the corner of my mind,
Of happy times gone past
When you were by my side.
I just saw a picture
It flashed before my eyes,
Of dreams we had together
And futures we once had.
I just wiped a teardrop
Which was nestled in my eye,
Followed by another
As I began to cry,
I just gazed to heaven
That heaven up so high,
I see a light that shines for me;
My Angel in the sky.
~ Ian Robertson
There's a knot in my stomach
There's a void in my heart
The absence of you
Just tears me apart.
I can try to accept it
I can try to move on
But nothing repairs
The knowing you've gone.
I think you're still with me
But can't see you face
I wish I could hear you
Or feel your embrace.
My mind sometimes wanders
And it all seems unreal
So I just close my eyes
And believe what I feel.
It's so hard to accept
When you're in my dreams
And when I wake up,
It's not what it seems.
I can picture a moment
Of your beautiful smile
I know in my heart
It's just for a while.
What feels like a lifetime
Is only a day
And sometimes tomorrow
Feels a lifetime away.
I will wait for a lifetime
To see you again
One day at a time
I love you ...
Amen.
Feelings
No more your face to look upon
Or your beautiful smile to see
Though deep inside my heart I know
You still reside with me.
When the sun casts down its golden rays
That's when I see your smile
Then rain drops fall just like my tears
And my heart aches for a while.
A rainbow in the sky appears
With a beauty of its own
And on the breeze I hear your voice
It whispers you're not alone.
~ Sandra Woolridge
Memorial Poem for a Husband, Father and Grandfather
So close to our hearts each day of the year,
Deep in our hearts his memory is kept,
To love and to cherish and never forget.
He left us quietly, his thoughts unknown,
But he left us his memories, we are proud to own.
So treasure him Lord in your garden of rest,
For hear on Earth, he was one of the best.
Memorial Poem for My Mum
When you left, I was bereft
Not for you, for me.
But all the times that we have shared
Are safely kept and free.
I travelled overseas quite soon,
I felt I had to flee
I felt the void you left behind,
You flying high and free
You always are around me,
In everything I do
In time and place both near and far,
I keep a space for you
Your children and their children
Share memories full of fun
To them you're always special,
Their distant number one
A mother's love is infinite
A mothers love is free
That love will last forever,
Wherever she may be
I know in time the day will come
When we shall meet again
In fields of green and skies of blue,
Our love won't wax and wane.
Memorial Poem: Until We Meet Again
Those special memories of you
will always bring a smile
if only I could have you back
for just a little while
Then we could sit and talk again
just like we used to do
you always meant so very much
and always will do too
The fact that you're no longer here
will always cause me pain
but you're forever in my heart
until we meet again
Christmas Trees in Heaven
I began to string the tinsel
Across the branches of the tree,
And remembered all the Christmases
When you were here with me.
Are there Christmas
Trees in Heaven?
I really need to know.
Does an angel sit atop the
Tree and is there any snow?
The house just seems so quiet
Christmas music brings me tears
But I know that you're in heaven
As these days turn into years.
One day we will be together
It was always meant to be
Together up in heaven,
For all eternity.
Memorial Poem: We Thought Of You Today
We thought of you today,
But that is nothing new
We thought of you yesterday
And will tomorrow, too.
We think of you in silence
And make no outward show.
For what it meant to lose you
Only those who love you know
Remembering you is easy,
We do it every day.
It's the heartache of losing you
That will never go away.
It's hard to believe,
You are no longer here,
We think of you,
You feel so near,
In some small way, every single day,
Memories of you come our way.
If every tear we shed for you
Became a star above
You'd stroll in Angel's gardens
Lit by everlasting love
Memorial Poem: Broken Chain
We little knew that morning
God was going 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 beautiful 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.
Memorial Poem - Life Is But A Stopping Place
Life is but a stopping place
a pause in what's to be,
a resting place along the road
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
different paths along the way,
we all were meant to learn some things,
but never meant to stay.
Our destination is a place
far greater than we know,
for some, the journey's quicker,
for some, the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
we'll claim a great reward,
and find an everlasting peace,
together with the Lord.
Poetry from Heaven: Tiny Footprints
These are my footprints,
so perfect and so small.
These tiny footprints
never touched the ground at all.
Not one tiny footprint,
for now I have wings.
These tiny footprints were meant
for other things.
You will hear my tiny footprints,
in the patter of the rain.
Gentle drops like angel's tears,
of joy and not from pain.
You will see my tiny footprints,
in each butterflies' lazy dance.
I'll let you know I'm with you,
if you just give me that chance.
You will see my tiny footprints,
in the rustle of the leaves.
I will whisper names into the wind,
and call each one that grieves.
Most of all, these tiny footprints
are found on Mommy and Daddy's hearts.
'Cause even though I'm gone now,
We'll never truly part.
My Angel Up In Heaven
My Angel up in Heaven,
I wanted you to know,
I feel you watching over me,
everywhere I go.
I wish you were with me,
but that can never be.
Memories of you in my heart,
that only I can see.
My Angel up in Heaven,
I hope you understand,
That I would give anything
if I could hold your hand.
I'd hold you oh so tightly,
and never let you go,
And all the love inside of me,
to you I would show.
My Angel up in Heaven,
for now we are apart,
You will always live inside of me
deep within my heart.
~ Dave Hedges
A Letter from Heaven
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.
When tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here in your heart.
Heaven
As I sit in heaven
And watch you every day
I try to let you know with signs
I never went away
I hear you when you're laughing
And watch you as you sleep
I even place my arms around you
To calm you as you weep
I see you wish the days away
Begging to have me home
So I try to send you signs
So you know you are not alone
Don't feel guilty that you have
Life that was denied to me
Heaven is truly beautiful
Just you wait and see
So live your life, laugh again
Enjoy yourself, be free
Then I know with every breath you take
You'll be taking one for me...
Bereavement Poem - Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep
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.
I did not see you
close your eyes
Or hear your last faint sigh
I only heard that
you were gone
Too late to say goodbye.
Gone yet not forgotten,
although we are apart,
your spirit lives within me,
forever in my heart.
~ Mary Elizabeth Frye
Reaching Out
I feel your pain
and long to touch the hurt
and make it melt away.
~ Christine Rigden
Pet Memorial Poems
If I Can Remember
If I can remember without feeling sad,
The short but happy times we had.
If I can remember the two and a half years,
Without breaking down into torrents of tears.
If I can remember the way that you sat,
On your cushion, or duvet, or just on the mat.
If I can remember your light, happy stance,
And the way when your meal came you did a quick dance.
Remember you curled on your bed on the floor,
And your warning bark to a ring at the door.
If I can remember your brisk little walk,
And the way you could speak without having to talk.
If I can remember you happily -
Then I know that you'll always be here with me.
- "Nothing dies that is remembered"
There are some who think it's foolish to weep
Over a cherished pet in eternal sleep.
But those poor souls are truly blind
For they know not of the creature kind.
But you who devoted many years
Deserve the time to shed those tears
Over the loss of your furry friend
Whose life on earth has come to an end.
And may the tears that you now weep
Sow loving memories forever keep.
There are moments in life when you wish you could bring someone down from heaven. To spend the day with them just one more time, give them one more hug, kiss them goodbye or hear their voice again. One more chance to say I love You!
For more resources and also to find
funeral handouts and
funeral programs,
ideas for funerals and eulogies, please visit Special Moments.
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funeral poems & eulogy poetry