Picking a Funeral Poem or Tribute That Speaks from the Heart
Why Words Still Matter
During a time when everything feels a little off balance, the right words can bring people back to center.
Funeral poems have a way of doing that. Not because they fix anything. But because they say something honest in a moment when most of us struggle to speak.
Whether it’s a short line tucked into a service program, or a full reading shared during the eulogy, these words create space. They give people permission to feel.
And when chosen with care, they help shape how someone is remembered.
Some Verses to Start With
You don’t need to write a masterpiece. And you definitely don’t need to speak like a poet.
Here are a few sample verses — some short, some longer — that have been used in services again and again.
Short Selections:
“Those we love don’t go away,
They walk beside us every day.”
— Unknown
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
— Thomas Campbell
“Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure.
You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.”
— Unknown
Longer Options:
“You can shed tears that they are gone
Or you can smile because they lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that they’ll come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all they left behind.”
— From “He Is Gone” by David Harkins
“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.”
— From “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye
Some families also pair these with meaningful funeral songs to create a mood that holds people gently.
Should You Write Your Own?
It depends.
If you’re someone who processes through writing, or if you feel like no existing words quite fit, writing your own can be deeply personal. Even a simple paragraph from the heart — a short tribute or memory — can mean more than something polished.
On the other hand, choosing a known poem can be a comfort. It takes the pressure off. It offers a shape for your feelings when they’re hard to name.
There’s no rule here. Sometimes a few original lines alongside a classic is the best of both.
Poems for Parents, Partners, or Children
Relationships change the kind of words we need.
Funeral poems for mom often reflect nurturing, strength, or the small things — the meals, the soft touch, the quiet presence. Think of lines that echo care.
Funeral poems for dad might focus on guidance, protection, or legacy. The words don’t have to be formal — just true. “He taught me to…” can be a powerful place to begin.
Funeral poems for sister often hold a different kind of intimacy. Shared childhood. Secrets. Laughter. These tributes tend to be emotional in an open, vulnerable way.
For a spouse or partner, you may want to speak to the life built together — the everyday love, the partnership, the things no one else saw. The quiet loyalty.
When it’s a child, the words are softer. Harder. Gentler. There’s no poem that makes it make sense — but sometimes one can sit beside the grief for a moment.
Where and How to Include a Poem
There are many ways to weave a funeral poem into a funeral service or memorial:
- Print it in the program or on the back of the obituary card
- Read it during the eulogy
- Have a friend or family member read it aloud on your behalf
- Include it as part of a slideshow or photo tribute
- Use it as a caption for a keepsake or memory table
Some funeral poems are best read aloud. Others speak more quietly from the page.
If you’re unsure, a funeral director can help you decide where it fits — and how to present it with the right tone.
We’re Here to Help You Find the Right Words
At Tranquility Funeral Services, we help families with more than just logistics. Choosing the right funeral poems, readings, or even funeral songs is part of what we offer.
Some people come in knowing exactly what they want. Others ask, “Do you have a few examples?”
We do. We’ve collected poems for all kinds of people and relationships — including suggestions for funeral poems for mom, dad, sister, and more. If you’d like to personalize something or need help formatting the program, we’ll guide you through it. Quietly. Kindly.
Whether you want to write your own words or borrow from someone else’s, we’ll help you shape them with care.
Browse our poem suggestions or speak with a director to find a reading that fits. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to feel like them — and like you.
It is a common practice to send a condolence card with 
It is a common practice to send a condolence card with 
We witness how families grieve for their lost family member by going to their 
The saddest occasion we could ever attend to would be the funeral of our loved one. If your task is 
Life is not easy, and so is dying. A point in time will arrive where a loved one will die, and spending time with them would be the happiest moments of our lives. Death of our loved one will give us despair and grief, which we don’t want to experience. But death is inevitable, and we have to think about the worst-case scenario.
The death of someone we love is an emotionally devastating experience. The pain can’t be simply put into words and we’re oftentimes left with so many questions. We feel confused and this is normal. This could be the reason why eulogies are so difficult to deliver. That is because not only are we to contend with our grief on a personal level, but we’d also have to stand in front of people who feel the same way while trying to make sense to them what just happened when we ourselves might still have no clue. However, people depend on our strength, especially in this most trying time. In a time of internal turmoil, sometimes, we must be the ones people have to depend on or else everybody won’t be able to stand what little ground they have. 
