Thanks to Flinger, Michelle, for sharing this inspiration for writing your own words for a funeral. This time last week, I had the privilege of leading a funeral for Michelle and family to celebrate the life of her dad, Alex. It was a sad day for the family, marking the loss of their generous, spirited, loving, much-loved dad, grandpa, great grandpa, brother, uncle.
This week we’re grateful to Jennifer Levenson for sharing At the End – her way of saying goodbye to a parent. She wrote this poem for her dad’s funeral in 2008 and has been glad to let others use and adapt them since then. She offers this poem to you, if it’s helpful.
Lasting tributes are part of our culture… memorial stones, songs, poems. Our favourite has to be this lasting tribute. The oak heart-shaped forest.
If you’re looking for poems and readings for a funeral, there is a host of great writers out there who have created powerful and moving lines about the deaths of loved ones that are often quoted at funerals. And there are some just about life, love, nature, spiritual mysteries that serve as funeral poems very well. You can use a whole, short poem or take a excerpt of a paragraph or two from longer readings.