Christian Life Celebrations

Tribute

You must feel no guilt in laughter,

for she knew how much you cared

nor feel sorrow in a smile

that she's not here to share

you cannot grieve forever

and she wouldn't want you to

she would hope you would carry on

the way you always do

you should let memories surround you

and a word someone may say

will suddenly recapture

a time, an hour or a day

for if you keep those moments

you will never be apart

and name will live forever,

locked safe within your hearts.

She/He is Gone

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's 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.

Used at the Funeral service of the Queen Mother.

I’ll be there

I've come to the end of life's busy road

I've put down my burden, I've cast off my load

My spirit is free, my soul has wings

I'll pour from the throat of a bird that sings

I'll ride on the wind, I'll float on the clouds

I'll twinkle with the stars in night's velvet shroud

I'll shine with the sun as it circles the earth

I'll be there at the dawn when a new day gives birth

I'll be with the snow fluttering down

Silently, softly, nature's crown

I'll be in the rain as it falls on the earth

Cleansing, refreshing, priceless worth

I'll ride on the ether, silent and free

A world of my own, please don't cry for me

by Maude Hurford

Look for me

Look for me when the tide is high

And the gulls are wheeling overhead

When the autumn wind sweeps the cloudy sky

And one by one the leaves are shed

Look for me when the trees are bare

And the stars are bright in the frosty sky

When the morning mist hangs on the air

And shorter darker days pass by.

I am there, where the river flows

And salmon leap to a silver moon

Where the insects hum and the tall grass grows

And sunlight warms the afternoon

I am there in the busy street

I take your hand in the city square

In the market place where the people meet

In your quiet room – I am there

I am the love you cannot see

And all I ask is – look for me.

Iris Hesselden

Death is Nothing at All

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 still are.

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 a 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 round the corner.

All is well."

Henry Scott Holland - Canon of St paul’s Cathedral.

Life Goes On

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!

Joyce Grenfell 1910-1979

Miss me but let me go

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 too long,

And not with your head bowed low.

Remember the love that we once 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's plan--

A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart,

Go to the friends we know,

And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.

Miss me-- but let me go.

Time

Time is too slow for those who wait

Too swift for those who fear

Too long for those who grieve

Too short for those who rejoice

But, for those who love –

Time is eternity.

Butterfly

'What the caterpillar perceives is the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning'

Buddhist Saying.

Heritage

They are not dead,

Who leave us this great heritage of remembering joy.

They still live in our hearts,

In the happiness we knew, in the dreams we shared.

They still breathe,

In the lingering fragrance,windblown, from their favourite flowers.

They still smile in the moonlight's silver,

And laugh in the sunlight's sparking gold.

They still speak in the echoes of the words we've heard them say again and again.

They still move,

In the rhythm of waving grasses, in the dance of the tossing branches.

They are not dead;

Their memory is warm in our hearts, comfort in our sorrow.

They are not apart from us, but part of us,

For love is eternal,

And those we love shall be with us throughout all eternity.

All it takes is a passing Shadow

All it takes is a passing shadow, as a cloud moves across the sun,

to remind us yesterday has gone, and a new day has begun.

For although the blossoms may tumble and leaves scatter in the breeze,

what will never ever fade is the most precious memories.

We think about what might have been and why fate allows the happiness of former days to be touched with sadness now,

but like the ending of the day just after the sun has set.

We know that deep within our hearts we never will forget,

and that is when we realize

the footsteps that name has been left behind,

although they cannot be re-filled, they hold memories,

of the warmest and most wonderful kind

Refuge

There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is an impossibility. Inside of the dullest exterior there is a drama, a comedy and a tragedy' - Mark Twain, The refuge of the Derelicts 1905

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 swiftly blow

I am the diamond glints on newly fallen snow

I am the sun on ripened grain

I am the soft and gentle autumn rain

When you awaken in the early morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in their circled light

I am the soft star that shines in the night

Do not stand at my grave and cry

I am not there; I did not die.

Anonymous

Not how did he die

Not how did he die, but how did he live?

Not what did he gain, but what did he give?

These are the units to measure the worth

of a man as a man, regardless of birth.

Not, what was his church, nor what was his creed?

But had he befriended those really in need?

Was he ever ready, with 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 he passed away.

Anonymous

Indian Prayer

When I am dead, Cry for me a little

Think of me sometimes, but not too much.

Think of me now and again as I was in life

At some moments it's pleasant to recall, but not for long.

Leave me in peace and I shall leave you in peace

And while you live let your thoughts be with the living.

Traditional

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free

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 left undone must stay that way;

I found that place at the close of day.

If my 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 you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life's been full, I savored much;

Good friends, good times, a loved ones touch.

Perhaps my time seems all to brief;

Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your heart and share with me,

God wanted me now, He set me free.

Anon

Richness

Do not judge a biography by its length,

Nor by the number of pages in it.

Judge it by the richness of its contents

Sometimes those unfinished are among the most poignant…

Do not judge a song by its duration

Nor by the number of its notes

Judge it by the way it touches and lifts the soul

Sometimes those unfinished are among the most beautiful…

And when something has enriched your life

And when its melody lingers on in your heart

Is it unfinished? or is it endless?

As we look back

As we look back over time

We find ourselves wondering

Did we remember to thank you enough

For all you have done for us?

For all the times you were by our sides

To help and support us

To celebrate our successes

To understand our problems

And accept our defeats?

Or for teaching us by your example,

The value of hard work, good judgement,

Courage and integrity?

We wonder if we ever thanked you

For the sacrifices you made.

To let us have the very best?

And for the simple things

Like laughter, smiles and times we shared?

If we have forgotten to show our

Gratitude enough for all the things you did,

We're thanking you now.

And we are hoping you knew all along,

How much you meant to us.

Clare Jones

Celtic Blessing

May the roads rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rain fall soft upon your fields

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Anon

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life their was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints, I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you."

Airman’s Prayer

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew -

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee

No 412 squadron, RCAF died in service 11 December 1941

The Chain

We little knew that morning that

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 peaceful 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.

Farewell

Farewell to Thee! But not farewell

To all my fondest thoughts of Thee;

Within my heart they still shall dwell

And they shall cheer and comfort me.

Life seems more sweet that Thou didst live

And men more true Thou wert one;

Nothing is lost that Thou didst give,

Nothing destroyed that Thou hast done.

Anne Bronte

If I should go tomorrow

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.

BON VOYAGE

There’s a ship sailing on to a harbor,

To a haven of comfort and rest;

It’s a ship of God’s fashion and making

And its voyage by Him will be blest.

It departed with silence and beauty,

With the Master, Himself, in command;

As with dignity truly majestic

It sailed out of sight of all land.

There will always be clear skies above it;

There will always be calmness below,

There will never be storms to harass it.

For the Master is on it, you know,

And His wisdom will carry it safely

To the port of His infinite peace,

Where the light of His love will protect it

With a blessing that never will cease.

You have watched it sail onward and outward,

With a tear of regret in your eye,

For a loved one was sailing upon it,

And there’s grief when you’re saying goodbye.

But your tears would be tears of rejoicing,

And your heart would be happy and free,

If you could look for only a moment

On that ship that is sailing to sea.

For the one you have loved is at leisure,

With no worry or trouble or care;

There’s contentment beyond understanding,

In the way God’s passengers fare.

And you’d know from your own observation

That the sailing was joyful, not grim,

For it means a new life and new living,

And a sweet, closer contact with Him.

Oh, the solace there is in the knowledge,

Life is life and it always will be,

And it’s simply a change of direction

When we sail on His ship out to sea.

And the tears that we shed for our loved ones

Are in truth shed for us left behind,

For it hurts to give up to the Master,

Tho’ we know He is gentle and kind.

So believe in His great and good wisdom,

Trust in Him, as you patiently wait,

On His ship God is ever the pilot,

And the one you have loved is the mate.

He only takes the best

God saw you were getting tired

and a cure was not to be;

So he put His arm around you

and whispered, “Come to Me.”

With tearful eyes we watched you,

and saw you pass 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 to us,

He only takes the best.

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land:

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day

You tell me of our future that you planned:

Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Rossetti 1830-1894

The Rose Beyond the Wall

A rose once grew where all could see, sheltered beside a garden wall,

And as the days passed swiftly by, it spread its branches, straight and tall...

One day, a beam of light shone through a crevice that had opened wide

The rose bent gently toward its warmth then passed beyond to the other side

Now, you who deeply feel its loss, be comforted - the rose blooms there-

its beauty even greater now, nurtured by God's own loving care.

Desiderata

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

W H Davies

With These Hands by Pam Ayres

With these hands so soft and clean, On which I stroke the Vaseline,

I soothe the fever, cool the heat, Lift verrucas out of feet,

Slap the plasters on the knees, Dig the garden, prune the trees,

And if it doesn’t work at all, I throw the mower at the wall.

With these hands I crack the eggs, Floss my teeth, shave my legs,

Write the cheques, count the fivers, Make rude signs at piggish drivers,

Clean the goldfish, light the fires, Pump up half a dozen tyres,

Feed the hamster, worm the dog And decorate the Yuletide log.

With these hands I block the lens, When taking photos of my friends,

This is Mary, this is Fred, See their eyeballs all gone red.

With them I gesticulate, I wag a finger, say, ‘You’re late!’

Throw them up, say, “Don’t ask me!” And, ‘What’s that in your hand? Let’s see!’

With these hands, I fondly make, A brontosaurus birthday cake,

I’m sorry for the shape it’s in, But half of it stuck in the tin.

I pop the corn, I pick the mix, I whack the cricket ball for six,

I organise the party game, And clean up things too vile to name.

No pair of jeans do I refuse, No Levis, Wranglers or FUs,

I wash them fast, I mend them quick, I sew through denim hard and thick,

For no repair job makes me frown, I take them up, I let them down,

I do the fly, I do the rip, I do the knee, I do the zip.

And with these hands I dab the eyes, Officiate at fond goodbyes,

As in the earth we gravely dig, The late lamented guinea pig.

I bow my head, cross my chest, And lay his furry soul to rest,

Reflecting that, on many a day, I could have helped him on his way.

I greet the folks who bang the door, Fill the mouths that shout for more,

Scrape the trainers free of muck, Gut the fish and stuff the duck,

I cart the shopping, heave the coal, Stick the plunger down the bowl,

Take foreign bodies from the eye and with these hands I wave

Goodbye.

If I should die

If I should die and leave you here awhile,

be not like others, sore undone, who keep

long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.

For my sake, turn again to life and smile,

nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do

something to comfort weaker hearts than thine.

Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine,

and I perchance may therein comfort you.

A. Price Hughes & Mary Lee Hall

Funeral Blues

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 airplanes 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.

W. H. Auden

The Lord God Planted a garden

THE Lord God planted a garden

In the first white days of the world,

And He set there an angel warden

In a garment of light enfurled.

So near to the peace of Heaven,

That the hawk might nest with the wren,

For there in the cool of the even

God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden closes

With their shade and their sun-flecked sod

And their lilies and bowers of roses,

Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth, –

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth.

Dorothy F Gurney

The Glory of the Garden

OUR England is a garden that is full of stately views,

Of borders, beds and shrubberies and lawns and avenues,

With statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by;

But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye.

For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall,

You'll find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all

The cold-frames and the hot-houses, the dung-pits and the tanks,

The rollers, carts, and drain-pipes, with the barrows and the planks.

And there you'll see the gardeners, the men and 'prentice boys

Told off to do as they are bid and do it without noise ;

For, except when seeds are planted and we shout to scare the birds,

The Glory of the Garden it abideth not in words.

And some can pot begonias and some can bud a rose,

And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows ;

But they can roll and trim the lawns and sift the sand and loam,

For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come.

Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made

By singing:-" Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade

While better men than we go out and start their working lives

At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives.

There's not a pair of legs so thin, there's not a head so thick,

There's not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick

But it can find some needful job that's crying to be done,

For the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one.

Then seek your job with thankfulness and work till further orders,

If it's only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders;

And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden,

You will find yourself a partner In the Glory of the Garden.

Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees

That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees,

So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray

For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!

Kipling

Tis only us who grieve

They do not leave

They are not gone

They look upon us still

They walk among the valleys now

They stride upon the hill

Their smile is in the summer sky

Their grace is in the breeze

Their memories whisper in the grass

Their calm is in the trees

Their light is in the winter snow

Their tears are in the rain

Their merriment runs in the brook

Their laughter in the lane

Their gentleness is in the flowers

They sigh in autumn leaves

They do not leave

They are not gone

Tis only we who grieve

Afterglow

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.

No night without

There is no night without a dawning

No winter without a spring

And beyond the dark horizon

Our hearts will once more sing...

For those who leave us for a while

Have only gone away

Out of a restless, care worn world

Into a brighter day.

Helen Steiner Rice, American poet (1900 - 1981)

Farewell My friends

It was beautiful as long as it lasted The journey of my life.

I have no regrets whatsoever Save the pain I'll leave behind.

Those dear hearts who love and care...And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...

The strong arms that held me up When my own strength let me down.

At every turning of my life I came across good friends,

Friends who stood by me, Even when the time raced me by.

Farewell, farewell, my friends I smile and bid you goodbye.

No, shed no tears for I need them not. All I need is your smile.

If you feel sad do think of me

For that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts

Of those you love, remember then

You never die.

Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali poet and philosopher (1861 - 1941)

I felt an angel

I felt an angel near today, though one I could not see

I felt an angel oh so close, sent to comfort me

I felt an angel's kiss, soft upon my cheek

And oh, without a single word of caring did it speak

I felt an angel's loving touch, soft upon my heart

And with that touch, I felt the pain and hurt within depart

I felt an angel's tepid tears, fall softly next to mine

And knew that as those tears did dry a new day would be mine

I felt an angel's silken wings enfold me with pure love

And felt a strength within me grow, a strength sent from above

I felt an angel oh so close, though one I could not see

I felt an angel near today, sent to comfort me.

Silent tear

Each night we shed a silent tear, As we speak to you in prayer.

To let you know we love you, And just how much we care.

Take our million teardrops, Wrap them up in love,

Then ask the wind to carry them,

To you in heaven above.

Anon

If tomorrow starts without me

If 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 care for me, and how much I care for you,

and each time that you think of me I know you’ll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand,

that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand,

and said my place was ready in heaven far above,

and that I’d have to leave behind all those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye,

for all life, I’d always thought I didn’t want to die.

I had so much to live for and so much yet to do.

it seemed almost impossible that I was leaving you.

I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday, I thought, just for a while,

I’d say goodbye and hug you and maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realised that this could never be,

for emptiness and memories would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things that I’d miss come tomorrow.

I thought of you, and when I did, my heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through Heaven’s gates, I felt so much at home.

When God looked down and smiled at me, from His great golden throne,

He said, "This is eternity and all I’ve promised you,

Today your life on earth is past but here it’s starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow, but today will always last.

and since each day’s the same, there’s no longing for the past.

But you have been so faithful, so trusting, so true.

Though there were times you did some things you knew you shouldn’t do.

And you have been forgiven and now at last you’re free.

So won’t you come and take my hand and share my life with me?"

So if tomorrow starts without me, don’t think we’re far apart,

for every time you think of me, please know I’m in your heart.

Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed--and gazed--but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

Tempest

Our revels are now ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Yea all which it inherit, shall dissolve

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded in a sleep.

William Shakespeare

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make your dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

'Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling, author and poet (1865 - 1936)

This will I cherish

This will I cherish, when peace comes to the world again.

and I return once more,

we shall build our lives anew, but not quite as before.

The things we took for granted, i’ll be thankful each day.

Freedom, Home.

The things for which we must now fight and pray

I did not know until you went, how much you meant to me

your love, your dear companionship, your life and sympathy.

When together once again, we make another start.

These things will I cherish, with a glad and grateful heart.

Together Again

"A reunion occurred in Heaven this week

Of the sweetest and most joyful kind

As Dad's spirit moved beyond this earth

Released from his mortal life

And what a reunion it must have been!

A joy beyond our conceiving

When Dad met Mom in heaven again

Ending years of dignified grieving

And we are certain Dad is still holding Mom's hand

While she cherishes each moment by his side

And they're experiencing the joy of being together again

Catching up on the years they were denied

We are confident they are also looking over us

Hoping this happiness will lessen our pain

As we contemplate the joy that they finally feel

Now that they are together again

And though we'll miss them terribly

And will long for them with deepest grief

We are reminded that love is more powerful than death

And this knowledge gives us comfort and peace

We can still feel their love surround us

Giving us a desire to continue on

To try our best to live our lives well

In the ways they would have done

On Giving

There are those who have little and give it all.

These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.

And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.

And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;

They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.

Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.

Kahlil Gibran

Pilgrims Progress

I SEE myself now at the end of my journey, my toilsome days are ended. I am going now to see that head that was crowned with thorns, and that face that was spit upon for me. I have formerly lived by hearsay and faith but now I go where I shall live by sight, and shall be with him in whose company I delight myself. I have loved to hear my Lord spoken of; and wherever I have seen the print of this shoe in the earth, there I have coveted to set my foot to. His name to me has been as a civet-box; yea, sweeter than all perfume. His voice to me has been most sweet; and his countenance I have more desired than they that have most desired the light of the sun. His word I did use to gather for my food, and for antidotes against my faintings. 'He has held me, and hath kept me from mine iniquities; yea, my steps hath he strengthened in his way.' Glorious it was to see how the open region was filled with horses and chariots, with trumpeters and pipers, with singers and players on stringed instruments, to welcome the Pilgrims as they went up, and followed one another in at the beautiful gate of the city.

John Bunyan (1628-88)

To the living I am gone

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 can not speak but I can listen, I can not be seen but I can be heard

So as you stand upon the shore Gazing at the beautiful sea Remember me

As you look in awe at a mighty forest and its grand majesty remember me

Remember me in your heart In your thoughts

And your memories of the times we loved, The times we cried. the battle I fought

And the times we laughed for if you always think of me I will have never gone.

A Letter from Heaven

To my dearest family, some things I'd like to say. But first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay. I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above. Here, there's no more tears of sadness; Here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight. Remember that I am with you every morning, noon and night. That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through. God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you. It's good to have you back again, you were missed while you were gone. As for your dearest family, They'll be here later on. There's so much that we have to do, to help our mortal man."

God gave me a list of things, that he wished for me to do. And foremost on the list, was to watch and care for you. And when you lie in bed at night the day's chores put to flight. God and I are closest to you....in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years. Because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears. But do not be afraid to cry: it does relieve the pain. Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned. If I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand. But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is o'er. I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before.

There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb; But together we can do it by taking one day at a time. It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too; That as you give unto the world, the world will give to you.

If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain; Then you can say to God at night......"My day was not in vain." And now I am contented....that my life was worthwhile. Knowing as I passed along the way I made somebody smile.

So if you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low; Just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go. When you're walking down the street and you've got Me on your mind; I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.

And when it's time for you to go....from that body to be free. Remember you're not going.....you're coming here to Me.

Anon

When I am gone release me

When I am gone, release me, let me go.

I have so many things to see and do,

You mustn't tie yourself to me with too many tears,

But be thankful we had so many good years.

I gave you my love, and you can only guess

How much you've given me in happiness.

I thank you for the love that you have shown,

But now it is time I traveled on alone.

So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must

Then let your grief be comforted by trust

That it is only for a while that we must part,

So treasure the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away for life goes on.

And if you need me, call and I will come.

Though you can't see or touch me, I will be near

And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear

All my love around you soft and clear

And then, when you come this way alone,

I'll greet you with a smile and a "Welcome Home".

You never said goodbye.

You never said I'm leaving, You never said goodbye

You were gone before I knew it, And only God knew why

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, That no one could ever fill

It broke my heart to lose you, But you didn't go alone

For part of me went with you, The day God took you home.

A whisper in the wind, a shadow on the wall, the feeling that somebody’s there

but no answer to your call. a kind of warmth when days are cold

a hand held out to guide, a glow that lights the darkest night

a presence by your side, if these things happen, Curb your fears

just smile a knowing smile, it’s me you see, watching over you

across the coming years.

I thought I saw your face today.

I thought I saw your face today,

in the sparkle of the morning sun.