Celebrations of life joyously honor our loved ones, regardless or maybe because of our grief. We often can not find words to express what we feel or even words to celebrate a life well-lived. It’s not surprising, since the death of a loved one feels devastating to those left behind. Reading loving and uplifting poems while memorializing our beloved gives us hope and peace.
Celebration of Life Poems
Our loved ones are gone but certainly not forgotten. And poetry helps us celebrate and remember them. It fills us with emotion and enables us to move through grief and into an abundance of love. While you might write your own words, others may choose to select an existing poem to share at a loved one’s celebration of life. Choose words that speak to your heart about the special relationship you shared with the deceased.
Uplifting and Personal Celebration Poetry
When it’s hard for us to voice what we feel, turn to the poetry of famous authors to help. These poems perfectly memorialize your loved one. Funeral poems and verses are a large part of commemorating our loved ones. So don’t hesitate to borrow one of these. Or let the words inspire you to write your own prose.
One of my all-time favorite poems is admittedly one I first heard as a funeral director. It is now on my list for one of my children to read at my memorial. E.E.Cummings wrote these words in 1952 and they resonate as clearly today as they did then.
[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
E. E. Cummings
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Below is another love poem that speaks to the relationship you may have shared with the deceased. While this poem speaks more about the survivor’s grief than of the deceased’s life, it acknowledges how interconnected we are as humans.
Sanctum
By Beulah B. Malkin
I built a tiny garden
In a corner of my heart
I kept it just for lovely things
And bade all else depart
And ever was there music
And flowers blossomed fair;
And never was it perfect
Until you entered there
This connectedness resonates with those who are mourning and provides a moment of reflection on the empty space left in each of them. I think most readings are better focused on your loved one’s life or the hope of a spiritual afterlife. But there is something to be said for stopping to acknowledge our sorrow and loss with a personalized and uplifting poem.
One more personal and uplifting funeral poem reminds us to find the beauty that our loved one leaves behind. It harkens us to open our eyes to see all that they have left for us. And to let our hearts remain full of their love.
She Is Gone
by David Harkins
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
Funny Or Lighthearted Memorial Poems
The saying that laughter is great medicine is especially true at celebrations of life and memorial services. There is even a time in a more formal funeral setting when laughter is appropriate.
Remembering our loved ones with a funny or lighthearted memorial poem eases tension and warms our hearts. Positive happy funeral poems provide a pause from sorrow and permit us to smile and even laugh. Sharing one of these poems might be a perfect way for you to celebrate your beloved.
Comedian Joyce Grenfell wrote this short diddy, which is perfect for a light-hearted celebration of life. It gets right to the point. Death and sadness go together, but so do life and singing. You might choose to follow this short and sweet poem with a favorite song of the deceased.
If I Should Go
By Joyce Grenfell
Weep if you must,
Parting is Hell,
But life goes on
So sing as well
The following short poem was shared by a woman in a Money Saving Expert forum. She searched unsuccessfully for a poem for her father-in-law’s celebration of life. Finding none, she wrote her own. And it’s been circling the internet ever since. A brief reminder to continue living. And in doing so, we honor our dead.
Do not feel guilty for living,
When I have passed away,
Keep smiling, laughing, playing,
And do this every day.
This next brief poem reminds us to live life to its fullest so that we have no regrets when our time to die approaches. It’s a short but solid reminder about the effect gratitude has on our lives.
A Song Of Living
By Amelia Josephine Burr
Because I have loved life,
I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have sent up my gladness on wings,
To be lost in the blue of the sky.
This final lighthearted memorial poem comes from the perspective of the deceased. It’s perfect for a celebration of life gathering at a pub or backyard BBQ. Raise a glass and share a toast or two!
Pardon Me For Not Getting Up
by Kelly Roper
Oh dear, if you’re reading this right now,
I must have given up the ghost.
I hope you can forgive me for being
Such a stiff and unwelcoming host.
Just talk amongst yourself my friends,
And share a toast or two.
For I am sure you will remember well
How I loved to drink with you.
Don’t worry about mourning me,
I was never easy to offend.
Feel free to share a story at my expense
And we’ll have a good laugh at the end.
Religious and Spiritual Celebration of Life Poems
Scriptures from the Bible, the Veda, or other religious documents are great for offering comfort and reassurance to those who practice a deep faith. Having certainty about the afterlife helps mourners know that they are not permanently separated from their loved ones.
Many people find great peace in hearing scripture read aloud. So it always makes a good selection for reading during a celebration of life ceremony. Other simple spiritual poems like the one below also make good choices. They hint at an afterlife and a faith base without being religion-specific.
My Journey’s Just Begun
by Ellen Brenneman
Don’t think of me as gone away
my journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets
this earth is only one.
Just think of me as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years.
Think how I must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away.
And think of me as living
in the hearts of those I touched…
for nothing loved is ever lost
and I was loved so much.
Here are some commonly read Bible verses for celebrations of life, memorial services, and funerals. Alternatively, reading the deceased’s favorite scripture is another good place to start. Try to steer away from judging scripture though, since now is the time for rejoicing over your loved one reaching heaven. It’s simply not the time for preaching or condemning.
JOHN 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.
The following scripture from the book of Ecclesiastes reminds mourners that there is a time for everything in life, even death. I have directed many services where this verse is read and then the folk song Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season) by The Byrds is played. It creates a special moment during the celebration of life.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-4
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…
Hindu’s Gita says that death of the body is not relevant, since the soul is eternal. The following reading or shloka emphasizes this belief.
Shloka No 20 Second Chapter ShreeMad Bhagwat Gita
The soul is never born nor dies; nor does it exist on coming into being For it is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not.
One more funeral poem comes to my mind as a popular but moving tribute. While it’s not overtly faith-based, it does speak to seeing the deceased in new lights. It speaks to the soul’s energy and finding signs from our loved ones even after they have crossed to a new plain.
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep
By 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 are many ways to include spiritual and faith-based verses and poems into your plans for a celebration of life service. Singing or playing joyful hymns and spiritual songs can sometimes take the place of spoken poetry. What are songs but poems set to music? They reach our hearts on a different level.
How Do You Honor Someone At A Celebration Of Life With Sad Poems?
Celebrations of life are about remembering someone in a lighthearted way, but that doesn’t mean we don’t also feel sadness. Sharing poetry that expresses our grief and sorrow is a good way to respect the deceased while still celebrating them.
These poems help us reflect on what we lose when someone dies. But they also give us a shared pain with other memorial attendees. That unity strengthens us during our sadness and helps us move forward.
Only a Little While
By Yakamochi
We were together
Only a little while,
And we believed our love
Would last a thousand years.
Here’s another sad poem that encourages us to look at what our loved ones leave behind. It’s a reminder that sometimes we don’t see what is right in front of us. Unfortunately, sometimes we see better once we experience loss.
Everything Passes And Vanishes
By William Allingham
Everything passes and vanishes;
Everything leaves its trace;
And often you see in a footstep
What you could not see in a face.
Thought-provoking Poetry
The Dash Poem is a favorite of many hospice chaplains I’ve been honored to work with and befriend. It is a simple reminder that death is an inevitable and unavoidable outcome of living.
This poem provides the basis for thought-provoking questions that each attendee can take home and ponder. It challenges us to examine ourselves even in the face of death so that we can choose the higher path. The hope is that through this self-examination, we each become better humans, who strive to live fully within our “dashes”.
The Dash Poem By Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end
He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
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 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?
How Do You Start A Celebration Of Life Speech?
If the family has asked you to give a speech, you may be wondering “what do you say in a celebration of life?” An important thing to clarify is how long they want you to speak. Generally, speakers keep their words short, under five minutes. But clarifying this before the service is necessary.
It’s always appropriate to start a celebration of life speech by introducing yourself and stating your relationship with the deceased. Share a short memory, 2-3 sentences. Then share a poem or reading that speaks to your relationship with your loved one. Whether it is funny, sad, or loving doesn’t matter. The important part is that it has meaning to you, so it will therefore have meaning to other guests.
Conclusion
Reading poetry in a celebration of life speech is especially poignant when the words are something the deceased may have said.
- Set a tone of joyousness for the celebration by focusing on the vitality of your loved one’s life, rather than on the sadness of your grief.
- But to simply share your feelings, don’t worry so much about carrying the celebratory tone, just speak from your heart.
Funeral poems help create a celebration of life that is as unique as your loved one. Select happy uplifting poetry or read the words of a song, either way, your love for the deceased will shine through.
Celebrations of life give us time to joyfully reflect on a life well lived. So whether your memorial is held in a church or a pub, there is a poem or verse that will help to perfectly set the mood.
