Choosing the perfect words to honour a loved one during their funeral service is both a privilege and a responsibility. The right reading can provide comfort to grieving hearts, celebrate a life well-lived, and create lasting memories that families treasure for generations.
This comprehensive collection brings together over 100 carefully selected funeral readings, poems, and verses, organised by theme and occasion to help you find the perfect tribute for your loved one. From traditional religious passages to contemporary secular poems, from uplifting celebrations of life to gentle words of comfort, you’ll find options suitable for every personality, belief system, and type of service.
Most Popular Funeral Readings
These beloved readings are chosen time and again for their universal appeal and comforting messages. They work beautifully for any service and resonate with people of all backgrounds.
1. “Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep”
Author: 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.
2. “She Is Gone (He Is Gone)”
Author: 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
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.
3. “All Is Well”
Author: Henry Scott Holland
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped 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 which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we 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 effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
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.
4. “Remember Me”
Author: Margaret Mead
To the living, I am gone,
To the sorrowful, I will never return,
To the angry, I was cheated,
But to the happy, I am at peace,
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot speak, but I can listen.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,
Remember me.
Remember me in your heart:
Your thoughts, and your memories,
Of the times we loved,
The times we cried,
The times we fought,
The times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never have gone.
5. “Let Me Go”
Author: Christina Rossetti
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that once we shared
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
Religious and Spiritual Readings
For those who find comfort in faith, these readings offer hope, peace, and the promise of eternal life. They can be beautifully incorporated into churchyard memorials and traditional services.
Biblical Passages
Psalm 23 (The Lord’s Prayer)
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
John 14:1-6 (In My Father’s House)
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (To Everything There Is a Season)
To every thing there is a season, and
a time to every purpose under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to
build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Love Is Patient)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Spiritual and Inspirational Readings
“God’s Garden”
Author: Unknown
God looked around his garden
And found an empty place,
He then looked down upon the earth
And saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering
He knew you were in pain.
He knew that you would never
Get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough
And the hills were hard to climb.
So he closed your weary eyelids
And whispered, ‘Peace be thine’.
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you didn’t go alone,
For part of us went with you
The day God called you home.
“Come With Me”
Author: Unknown
God saw you getting tired
And a cure was not to be
So He put His arms around you
And whispered ‘Come with Me.’
With tearful eyes
We watched you suffer
And saw you fade away,
Although we loved you dearly
We could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands at rest,
God broke our hearts to prove
He only takes the best.
Non-Religious and Secular Poems
These beautiful secular readings celebrate life, love, and memory without religious references, perfect for humanist services and those preferring non-religious content.
Celebrating Life and Memory
“Afterglow”
Author: Unknown
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.
“Gone From My Sight”
Author: Henry Van Dyke
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side
spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says,
“There, she is gone!”
“Gone where?”
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, “There, she is gone!”
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout,
“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.
“Funeral Blues”
Author: W.H. Auden
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 forever: 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.
“When Great Trees Fall”
Author: Maya Angelou
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.
Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance, fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the
unutterable ignorance of
dark, cold
caves.
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
Uplifting and Celebratory Readings
These readings focus on celebrating life, achievements, and the joy someone brought to the world. Perfect for celebration of life services and when families want to focus on positive memories.
Celebrating a Life Well-Lived
“The Dash”
Author: 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.
“How Did They Live?”
Author: Unknown
Not, how did they die, but how did they live?
Not, what did they gain, but what did they give?
These are the units to measure the worth
Of a person as a person, regardless of birth.
Not, what was their church, nor what was their creed?
But had they befriended those really in need?
Were they ever ready, with a word of good cheer,
To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?
Not, what did the sketch in the newspaper say,
But how many were sorry when they passed away?
“Life Is But a Stopping Place”
Author: Unknown
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.
“I Am Free”
Author: Shannon Lee Moseley
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free,
I’m following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard Him call,
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day, to laugh,
To love, to work or play.
Tasks undone must stay that way
I’ve found that peace at the close of the day.
If parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah, yes, these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish for you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full, I savoured much
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and share with me,
God wants me now, He set me free.
Short Poems and Verses
Sometimes brevity speaks loudest. These short poems pack emotional impact into just a few lines, perfect for nervous speakers or when multiple readings are planned. Many of these work beautifully as memorial quotes for headstones.
Four-Line Verses
“Because I Love You So”
Author: Unknown
Time will not dim the face I love,
The voice I heard each day,
The many things you did for me,
In your own special way.
“The Star”
Author: Unknown
A light went out on Earth for me
The day we said goodbye
And on that day a star was born,
The brightest in the sky
“Gone But Not Forgotten”
Author: Unknown
Those we love are never really lost to us
We feel them in so many special ways
Through friends they always cared about
And dreams they left behind, in beauty that they added to our days
Six to Eight Line Verses
“If I Should Go Tomorrow”
Author: Unknown
If I should go tomorrow
It would never be goodbye,
For I have left my heart with you,
So don’t you ever cry.
The love that’s deep within me,
Shall reach you from the stars,
You’ll feel it from the heavens,
And it will heal the scars.
“I’m There Inside Your Heart”
Author: Unknown
Right now I’m in a different place
And though we seem apart
I’m closer than I ever was,
I’m there inside your heart.
I’m with you when you greet each day
And while the sun shines bright
I’m there to share the sunsets, too
I’m with you every night.
“One At Rest”
Author: Unknown
Think of me as one at rest,
For me you should not weep
I have no pain no troubled thoughts
For I am just asleep
The living thinking me that was,
Is now forever still
And life goes on without me now,
As time forever will.
Readings for Specific Relationships
Different relationships call for different types of tribute. These readings are specially chosen to honour specific bonds and the unique grief that comes with each type of loss.
For a Mother
“What Is a Mum?”
Author: Unknown
A mum is one of life’s best gifts,
Someone to treasure all life through,
She’s caring and loving,
Thoughtful and true,
Someone who is always a special part of your life,
Someone who holds a prime place in your heart,
She’s a mentor, a confident and also a friend,
Someone on whose love you can depend.
A mum always has your best interests at heart,
She’s someone so dear and so good,
She’s a blessing, she’s a gift,
She’s a treasure like no other,
She’s someone that is truly wonderful.
“Your Mother Is Always With You”
Author: Unknown
Your mother is always with you…
She’s the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.
She’s the smell of bleach in
your freshly laundered socks.
She’s the cool hand on your
brow when you’re not well.
Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She’s crystallized
in every tear drop…
She’s the place you came from,
your first home. She’s the map you
follow with every step that you take.
She’s your first love and your first heartbreak…
and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space…
Not even death….
will ever separate you
from your mother…
You carry her inside of you….
For a Father
“Dad”
Author: Unknown
He never looks for praises.
He’s never one to boast.
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most.
His dreams are seldom spoken.
His wants are very few,
And most of the time his worries
Will go unspoken, too.
He’s there…a firm foundation
Through all our storms of life,
A sturdy hand to hold onto
In times of stress and strife.
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad.
One of our greatest blessings,
The man that we call Dad.
For a Child
The loss of a child requires special sensitivity. Our children’s memorials section offers beautiful options for the youngest angels. For additional comfort, see our dedicated guide on infant loss and stillbirth poems.
“Little Snowdrop”
Author: Unknown
The world may never notice,
If a snowdrop doesn’t bloom,
Or even pause to wonder,
If the petals fall too soon.
But every life that ever forms,
Or ever comes to be,
Touches the world in some small way,
For all eternity.
The little one we longed for,
Was swiftly here and gone,
But the love that was then planted,
Is a light that still shines on.
And though our arms are empty,
Our hearts know what to do,
For every beating of our hearts,
Says that we love you.
“Sweet Child”
Author: Unknown
When a light is as bright
As the light you shone
There’s no such thing
As truly gone
When a smile is as precious
As the one you wore
You nestle in hearts
Forevermore
When one so loved
Is taken too soon
The love that is left
Could outshine the moon
For a Grandparent
“Legacy of Love”
Author: Unknown
A wife, a mother, a grandma too,
This legacy we have from you,
You gave us love and how to fight,
You gave us strength, you gave us might,
A stronger person would be hard to find,
And in your heart, you were always kind,
You fought for us all in one way or another,
Not just as a wife, not just as a mother
For all of us you gave your best,
Now the time has come for you to rest
So go in peace, you earned your sleep,
Your love in our hearts, we’ll eternally keep.
For a Spouse
“The Life That I Have”
Author: Leo Marks
The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
Themed Readings by Interest
Personalising a funeral reading to reflect someone’s passions and interests creates a more meaningful tribute. These themed readings celebrate the things that brought joy to their lives.
For Garden Lovers
“Rose Garden”
Author: Unknown
But loved ones, remember:
For all the roses that grew
She tended and planted
Whole gardens in you.
Her heart warm and nurturing,
Her love strong and deep
Resilient and rooted
Yours to tend and to keep.
Her humour a harvest
Her love gently blooms
Her comforting presence
Still fills up a room.
For now we’re her roses.
Her legacy
of light and care.
The whole world will marvel
and know that she was there.
For Military Personnel
“A Soldier”
Author: Unknown
I lay here today
I know some don’t understand
I will try to explain it
The soldier and the man
I served my country
For many a year
I retired long ago
But the soldier’s still here
I put on my uniform
I wore it to foreign lands
The soldier I was
Is still the man
I have been a good man
And a friend to many here today
But I’ve been a soldier all along
Even after so many years
And so my final salute
I render today
I’m still a proud soldier
I’m just on my way
Rest in peace soldier!
For Music Lovers
“My Trumpet Is Silent”
Author: Unknown
My trumpet is silent
As it is with my life too
No more shall I play for you
There is nothing left to do
Don’t be sad for me today
For me please do not weep
Call upon your memories
They are yours to keep
The band upstairs is striking up
For me they now await
To play again I now can do
As I pass through heaven’s gate
The audience is waiting
Familiar faces all around
Once again the baton strikes
And I hear that familiar sound.
“Songbird”
Author: Unknown
Every songbird has its own unique song
And yours is my favourite.
Would my first steps be as hasty if not for its tempo?
Would my spirits be as high if not for its key?
Your song walked with me as I grew up
Like an underscore, lifting me.
And I have always listened, and I always will.
For no matter how quiet your tune gets,
As the years go on and time passes,
Even if it fades out to a gentle hum,
The echo of your melody will continue to guide me
And shape me into the woman that I will become.
So, although you aren’t here to sing it,
The beat of your song will continue in our hearts.
For Sea and Ship Lovers
“Gone Fishing”
Author: Unknown
I’ve finished life’s chores assigned to me,
So put me on a boat headed out to sea.
Please send along my fishing pole
For I’ve been invited to the fishin’ hole.
Where every day is a day to fish,
To fill your heart with every wish.
Don’t worry, or feel sad for me,
I’m fishin’ with the Master of the sea.
We will miss each other for awhile,
But you will come and bring your smile.
That won’t be long you will see,
Till we’re together you and me.
To all of those that think of me,
Be happy as I go out to sea.
If others wonder why I’m missin’
Just tell ’em I’ve gone fishin’.
Readings for Different Types of Loss
Sudden Loss
When death comes unexpectedly, these readings acknowledge the shock whilst offering comfort:
“Too Soon”
Author: Unknown
This was a life that had hardly begun,
No time to find your place in the Sun,
No time to do all you could have done,
But we loved you enough for a lifetime.
No time to enjoy the world and its wealth,
No time to take life down off the shelf,
No time to sing the songs of yourself,
Though you had enough love for a lifetime.
After Long Illness
“At Rest”
Author: Unknown
Think of me as one at rest,
For me, no need to weep,
I have no pain, no troubled thoughts,
For I am just at peace.
The living, thinking me that was,
is now forever still,
And life goes on without me,
as time forever will.
If your heart is heavy now,
because I’ve gone away,
Dwell not long upon it friend,
for none of us can stay.
For Those with Dementia
Understanding the particular grief that comes with dementia, these readings acknowledge the long goodbye:
“The Long Goodbye”
Author: Unknown
We join today to mourn your death,
But the losses began long ago.
Although your body stayed a while,
Your mind didn’t really know.
For you had got Alzheimer’s,
You failed to comprehend.
Your body went on living.
But your mind had reached its end.
So we’ve already said, “Goodbye”,
To the person that we knew.
The person that we truly loved,
The person that was, “You”.
Humorous and Light-hearted Options
Some people lived life with such joy and humour that a light-hearted reading feels most appropriate. These options celebrate personality and can bring smiles even in sadness.
Gentle Humour
“Pardon Me for Not Getting Up”
Author: Unknown
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.
“A Long Cup of Tea”
Author: Michael Ashby
Death is too negative for me
So I’ll be popping off for a long cup of tea
Do splash out on two bags in the pot
And for my god’s sake keep the water hot
Please pick the biggest mug you can find
Size really does matter at this time
I’ll pass on the lapsang with that souchong
And that stuff with bergamot
And stick with my favourite friend
You know the English breakfast blend
Light-hearted Celebration
“Have a Nice Day”
Author: Spike Milligan
‘Help, help,’ said a man. ‘I’m drowning.’
‘Hang on,’ said a man from the shore.
‘Help, help,’ said the man. ‘I’m not clowning.’
‘Yes, I know, I heard you before.
Be patient dear man who is drowning,
You, see I’ve got a disease.
I’m waiting for a Doctor J. Browning.
So do be patient please.’
[Content continues with the full poem…]
So the man who was drowning, drowned
And the man with the disease passed away.
But apart from that,
And a fire in my flat,
It’s been a very nice day.
How to Choose and Personalise Readings
Selecting the Right Reading
When choosing from this extensive collection, consider:
The Person’s Personality: Were they serious or lighthearted? Religious or secular? Traditional or unconventional?
The Audience: Will the service include many different generations? People of various faiths? Close family only?
The Setting: Is it a traditional church service, crematorium ceremony, or outdoor celebration of life?
Your Comfort Level: Choose something you can read aloud without becoming too overwhelmed.
Personalisation Ideas
Transform any reading into a personal tribute:
Add Their Name: Replace pronouns with your loved one’s name or nickname
Include Specific Details: Mention their favourite places, hobbies, or characteristics
Adapt Language: Update old-fashioned terms or change masculine/feminine references as needed
Combine Elements: Blend lines from different poems to create something unique
Family Collaboration: Ask relatives to suggest favourite phrases or memories to incorporate
Creating Your Own Reading
If none of these resonate completely, consider writing your own using these as inspiration. Our guide on how to write a heartfelt funeral tribute provides step-by-step guidance.
Creating Lasting Memorials
The beautiful words shared at a funeral service don’t have to end with the ceremony. Consider preserving meaningful phrases in permanent memorials:
Memorial Inscriptions
Many of these readings contain perfect phrases for headstone inscriptions. When choosing what to write on a headstone, consider excerpting meaningful lines that capture your loved one’s essence.
Short, impactful phrases work particularly well for:
Memorial Books and Keepsakes
Consider creating book memorials that include:
- The complete funeral reading
- Photos and memories
- Messages from the service
- Additional verses or poems
Choosing Memorial Materials
When planning a permanent memorial, understanding the best materials for headstones ensures your chosen inscription will endure for generations.
Ongoing Care
Once you’ve created a beautiful memorial inscription, our guide on how to clean a headstone will help you maintain its appearance and legibility.
Tips for Reading at a Funeral
If you’ve chosen to read at the service yourself, these practical tips will help:
Preparation
- Practice reading aloud several times beforehand
- Mark any difficult words phonetically
- Print the text in large, clear font
- Have a backup reader identified
On the Day
- Take deep breaths before you begin
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Don’t apologise for showing emotion
- Focus on honouring your loved one
If You Become Overwhelmed
- Take a moment to compose yourself
- Remember that tears are natural and expected
- Ask your backup reader to continue if needed
- The congregation will understand and support you
Conclusion: Finding Comfort in Words
This comprehensive collection of funeral readings, poems, and verses offers something for every person, every belief system, and every type of service. Whether you choose a traditional religious passage, a contemporary secular poem, or something uniquely personal, the right words can provide comfort, celebrate life, and create lasting memories.
Remember that there’s no single “correct” choice – the best reading is one that feels right for your loved one and your family. Take time to read through the options, perhaps involving other family members in the decision, and trust your instincts about what would best honour the person you’re remembering.
The words you choose for a funeral service often become part of your loved one’s lasting legacy, potentially inspiring memorial inscriptions, family traditions, and ongoing conversations about their impact on your lives. Through carefully chosen readings, we ensure that the light our loved ones brought to the world continues to shine, offering comfort and inspiration to all who remember them.
For more guidance on creating lasting tributes, explore our comprehensive resources on memorial quotes, epitaphs for headstones, and our full range of memorial options to honour your loved one’s memory in ways that will endure for generations to come.