The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against fate;
Death lays his icy hand on kings:
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.
Some men with swords may reap the field,
And plant fresh laurels where they kill:
But their strong nerves at last must yield;
They tame but one another still:
Early or late
They stoop to fate,
And must give up their murmuring breath
When they, pale captives, creep to death.
The garlands wither on your brow;
Then boast no more your mighty deeds;
Upon Death’s purple altar now
See where the victor-victim bleeds:
Your heads must come
To the cold tomb;
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet, and blossom in their dust.
Funeral Poems & Readings
Death The Leveller
A funeral poem for comfort during unsettling times
Print
Death The Leveller
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Email
Print
Funeral Shop
Keeping the memory alive. See our high-quality range of funeral products and jewellery including urns, ash pendants, keepsakes, candle holders, bracelets, rings and more.
More Funeral Poems
Goodbye Dad
It’s never the right time To say goodbye. I will miss you, Dad, And here is why. You taught me so much: To show no ...
Read Full Poem →
Celebrating A Life-In Words Of One Syllable
Strange that it should be so, Be born and live and grow, Watch weird new worlds go by In the blink of an eye.Wake up ...
Read Full Poem →
No Goodbyes
Oh Father, can you hear me? I’m sending a prayer your way, I’m clutching hard to my faith, as mom taught me, As she draws ...
Read Full Poem →
Goodbye, Granddad
Heaven has received another angel, The night sky another star. Your life has become a loving memory. I know you will never be far. I ...
Read Full Poem →
Footprints On The Sands Of Time
Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! – For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what ...
Read Full Poem →
Death Is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as ...
Read Full Poem →
Mya’s Wish
Dear God, My name is Mya Hailey Garcia, and I live here on Earth, and as far as I’ve been told, whatever I want, I ...
Read Full Poem →
Farewell My Friends
Farewell My Friends It was beautiful As long as it lasted The journey of my life. I have no regrets Whatsoever said The pain I’ll ...
Read Full Poem →
My Mother’s Sleep Is Deep
My mother‘s sleep is deep as drifts of snow. Snow-white the moon which plays with rays like fingers, Smoothes and lingers on her white sheet. ...
Read Full Poem →
My Mother
Look up to the sky. Now tell me what you see. A cloud, the moon, possibly the sun. Many answers there will be. When I ...
Read Full Poem →
God Saw You
God saw you getting tired, When a cure was not to be. So He wrapped his arms around you, and whispered, “Come to me”. You ...
Read Full Poem →
You’ve Just Walked On Ahead of Me
And I’ve got to understand You must release the ones you love And let go of their hand. I try and cope the best I ...
Read Full Poem →
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
As virtuous men pass mildly away, And whisper to their souls to go, Whilst some of their sad friends do say The breath goes now, ...
Read Full Poem →
Tis Only We Who Grieve
Tis only we who grieve They do not leave They are not gone They look upon us still They walk among the valleys now They ...
Read Full Poem →
If You Would Have Known
If you could have seen the devastation, shattered hearts you’d leave behind, would you still have left this world that day? Would it have made ...
Read Full Poem →