Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! –
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, — act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Funeral Poems & Readings
Footprints On The Sands Of Time
A funeral poem for comfort during unsettling times
Footprints On The Sands Of Time
More Funeral Poems
Mother’s Love
The greatest wonders man can build Will all in time decay But the wonder of a Mother’s love Will never fade away
For My Brother
You left without Warning. Gone so fast. Now all we have Are memories Of our past. You are loved by so many. You might not …
The Best And Most Beautiful Things In The World
The best and most beautiful Things in the world cannot Be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
Untitled
I am standing on the sea shore. A Ship sails and spreads her white sails to the morning breeze And starts for the ocean. She is …
How I Feel
Sometimes I just wish I could run away and hide. No matter where I go though, these feelings stay inside. How can I stay here …
A Picture Of You
I only have a picture now, A frozen piece of time, To remind me of how it was, When you were here, and mine. I …
It’s Strange
It’s strange we don’t appreciate The things we see each day We never know their value Till they’re cruelly snatched away Things I took for …
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 blow, I am …
On Death
Then Almitra spoke, saying, “We would ask now of Death.” And he said: “You would know the secret of death. But how shall you find …
A Daughter’s Promise
Every time I smile, Every time I sigh, I think of your face, And a tear escapes my eye. You were my world, My inspiration …
All That Was Her
Where’s she gone, the one we knew, The one we knew and loved, Who knew us all and loved us all – Where now is …
The Fight
My body’s cold, lips are blue. Why did I do this because of you? I feel the earth below me like a pillow under my …
Love Shines Through
Like a shadow in the moonlight Like the whisper of the seas Like the echoes of a melody Just beyond our reach In the shadow …
Child of Mine
―I‘ll lend you for a little time a child of Mine, He said, ― For you to love while he lives and mourn for when …
The Lord’s my Shepherd – Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. …
