Funeral Songs, Music & Poems

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.

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 before the rest of you 
Break not a flower 
Nor inscribe a stone 
Nor when I am 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 

Death is nothing at all 
I have only slipped away 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 you always used 
Put no difference into your tone 
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow 
Laugh as we always laughed 
At the little jokes we always 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 effort 
Without the ghost of a shadow in it 
Life means all that it ever meant 
It is the same as it ever was 
There is absolute unbroken continuity 
What is death but a negligible accident? 
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. 
Nothing is past; nothing is lost 
One brief moment and all will be as it was before 
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again! 

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
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 is 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 would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on

Do not shed tears when I have gone but smile instead because I have lived. 
Do not shut your eyes and pray to God that I'll come back but open your eyes and see all that I have left behind. 
I know your heart will be empty because you cannot see me but still I want you to be full of the love we shared. 
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live only for yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of what happened between us yesterday. 
You can remember me and grieve that I have gone or you can cherish my memory and let it live on. 
You can cry and lose yourself, become distraught and turn your back on the world or you can do what I want - smile, wipe away the tears, learn to love 
 

Many people will walk in and out of your life,
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you twice, it is your fault
Great minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
Friends, you and me ... You brought another friend ... and we started our group ... our circle of friends ... and like a circle ... there is no beginning or end ... 
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery. 
Today is a gift.

Let us be contented with what has happened and be thankful for all that we have been spared. 
Let us accept the natural order of things in which we move. 
Let us reconcile ourselves to the mysterious rhythm of our destinies, such as they must be in this world of space and time. 
Let us treasure our joys but not bewail our sorrows. 
The glory of light cannot exist without its shadows. 
Life is a whole, and good and ill must be accepted together. 
The journey has been enjoyable and well worth making-----once