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10 Most Beautiful Funeral Poems for Mum

We have selected a beautiful group of funeral poems for loss of a Mum.  We have chosen non-religious poems which will be appropriate for any mother, in any country, and of any belief.  We hope you will find one which moves you and speaks to you about your own mother at this sad time. 

Two of the poems were commissioned specially for our site.  They are the ones by Aneela Ahmed and J. Allen Shaw. 

Addendum!  Now there are 11 poems as another was sent to us by a reader and was so moving I had to add it at the end. 

1.  My Mother Kept A Garden - Anon

Rose Garden with pretty pink roses. Photo Sam Erwin

My Mother kept a garden.
A garden of the heart;
She planted all the good things,
That gave my life it's start.

She turned me to the sunshine,
And encouraged me to dream:
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.

And when the winds and rains came,
She protected me enough;
But not too much, she knew I'd need
To stand up strong and tough.

Her constant good example,
Always taught me right from wrong;
Markers for my pathway
To last my whole life long.

I am my Mother's garden,
I am her legacy.
And I hope today she feels the love,
Reflected back from me.

2.  Child and Mother by Eugene Field

O mother-my-love, if you’ll give me your hand,
And go where I ask you to wander,
I will lead you away to a beautiful land,–
The Dreamland that’s waiting out yonder.
We’ll walk in a sweet posie-garden out there,
Where moonlight and starlight are streaming,
And the flowers and the birds are filling the air
With the fragrance and music of dreaming.

There’ll be no little tired-out boy to undress,
No questions or cares to perplex you,
There’ll be no little bruises or bumps to caress,
Nor patching of stockings to vex you;
For I’ll rock you away on a silver-dew stream
And sing you asleep when you’re weary,
And no one shall know of our beautiful dream
But you and your own little dearie.

And when I am tired I’ll nestle my head
In the bosom that’s soothed me so often,
And the wide-awake stars shall sing, in my stead,
A song which our dreaming shall soften.
So, Mother-my-Love, let me take your dear hand,
And away through the starlight we’ll wander,–
Away through the mist to the beautiful land,–
The Dreamland that’s waiting out yonder.

pink casket spray of flowersChoose from our beautiful range of funeral flowers

 3.  A Sonnet for My Incomparable Mother by Joanna Fuchs

I often contemplate my childhood, Mom.
    I am a mother now, and so I know
    Hard work is mixed together with the fun;
    You learned that when you raised me long ago.

    I think of all the things you gave to me:
    Sacrifice, devotion, love and tears,
    Your heart, your mind, your energy and soul–
    All these you spent on me throughout the years.

    You loved me with a never-failing love
    You gave me strength and sweet security,
    And then you did the hardest thing of all:
    You let me separate and set me free.

    Every day, I try my best to be
    A mother like the mom you were to me.

4. Goodbye Mom - by Aneela Ahmed

Seeing you draped in white
My heart breaks, hope out of sight.

Mom you left too soon
I hadn't loved you enough.
Our relationship was never ideal
Our journey very tough.
My love for you hasn't died
So I will not entomb its heart.
I'll let it manifest in things
Let this be a new start.

As you leave today
Let me cry, let me say
My mom was my hero.
Leading me to right
Forgiving and loving
A star so bright.
So I lose today
My support, my light.
My dear Mom.
Making my life bright.

Losing my mom, I lost myself today
In darkness so deep
I try to find light, just a ray
Just enough to hold on
Hold on to life.

The final goodbye said
They bury her - before my eyes.

5.  Away by James Whitcomb Riley

I cannot say and I will not say
That she is dead, she is just away.
With a cheery smile and a wave of hand
She has wandered into an unknown land;
And left us dreaming how very fair
Its needs must be, since she lingers there.
And you-oh you, who the wildest yearn
From the old-time step and the glad return-
Think of her faring on, as dear
In the love of there, as the love of here
Think of her still the same way, I say;
She is not dead, she is just away.

6.  Richer Than Gold by Strickland Gillilan

You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be –

I had a mother who read to me.

Mom reading a book to a child. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

7.  Your Mother is Always With You by Deborah R Culver

She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street.
She’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick, the fragrance of life itself.

She’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well.
She’s your breath in the air on a cold winters’ day.
She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow.

She is Christmas morning.

Your mother lives inside your laughter.
She’s the place you come from, your first home.
She’s the map you follow with every step you take.

She’s your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy.
But nothing on Earth can separate you.
Not time.
Not space.
Not even death.

8. In Remembrance by Christine Currah

You gave me life
To live as I please,
You gave me love and
Support to follow my dreams.
Your beauty lives
Forever deep in my soul,
The memory of your love
Fills my heart
And I am never alone.

9.  My Mother, My Friend by J. Allen Shaw

Mom, I wasn’t prepared for you to pass so soon,
There was so much more I had hoped we’d do.
I wanted to thank you for loving me again and again,
From the day I was born, I always knew my best friend.

No matter how many times I said, “You don’t know what it’s like.”
You knew what I needed to hear and would always be right.
Now you’re gone, I wish I had listened more and talked less,
I would have handled things better, with much less stress.

10. Only One Mother by George Cooper

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of birds in the sunny weather.
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.

11. A Precious Goodbye To A Mother
By Clare-Marie Keel

I hold your frail hand gently as you lie moments from dying, gazing at your serene face full of beauty and wisdom

The end is very near; there is so much I have to say, but where do I begin and with so little time

Just how do I thank someone that has devoted their life to making me the person I am today?

A clock ticks by, counting our final hours, an overwhelming sense of emptiness leaves me feeling bereft and vulnerable

I stroke your fingers and think of the times those hands have supported me when life has been tough and difficult to steer

Those caring hands that picked me up and held me tightly when sadness overwhelmed me

I will you to keep breathing yet know I am being selfish as it is time to let you go, but I just can’t, not yet

Endless memories flash through my mind, seeing my life story, you there in so many scenes supporting me through every struggle

Fear grips me as I try to picture a life without you being present, but right now that feels too heavy to bear

The caring soul who would normally comfort and nurture me lies peacefully while gently fading from this world

I am not prepared for what to do so I silently whisper to you “help me” and the answer appears

I am going to spend these last moments thanking you for loving me and being the mother I desperately hope to be

Thank you, Mum, for the lessons you taught me on love and life and how to navigate those challenging times

Thank you for teaching me the gift of empathy and compassion so I too can be a light in someone’s darkness

Thank you for the belief you had when others gave up, yet you still championed my corner telling me I would achieve my dreams

So goodbye dear Mother, go freely on your journey as you now live on in my heart and those I touch with love

Clare-Marie Keel, Online and Telephone Counselling

For USA Residents: 

Please help our colleagues at Yeshiva University, USA by joining in their research study:

ARE YOU A CAREGIVER OR HAVE YOU RECENTLY LOST SOMEONE SIGNIFICANT?

#33769566.1  IRB Approved at the Study Level. 21 July 2022

We are seeking individuals who are caregiving for someone with a life-limiting illness and those who have experienced a significant loss to participate in a research study through Yeshiva University. The purpose of the study is to develop a questionnaire to identify those who may be in need of caregiver or grief support in order to ultimately improve family-centered care in hospitals and clinics.

For caregivers and bereaved individuals who would like to contribute to our understanding of caregiving and bereavement, this is a way to make a difference.

For USA Residents only.  Click here to learn more. 

For Remembrance: 

Sales from our pages result in a small commission to us which helps us to continue our work supporting the grieving.  

Heart Shaped Sterling Silver Pendant for Cremation Ashes, Engraved Forever Loved

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