Acceptable poem/speech for my dads funeral tommorow

garyfl

garyfl

garyfl

Associate
Joined
26 Jun 2010
Posts
2,118
Location
west yorkshire.
im really debating as tommorow gets closer, i saw a little poem from romeo and juliet expressing just how beautiful he is and so i ve chose it as a short poem to say.

“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”

just wanted to know your thoughts grandma seems to think its a bit morbid but mum loves it.

any thoughts ?
 
at my friends dad's funeral, my main hope was that the words meant something to him (my friend). He had lost his father and it was important (I think) he could express what he meant to him.

If you feel the poem resonates with you, then I would use it.
 
Elixir said:
This too. The poem is morbid on the surface but only if you take it literally.
Click to expand...

Oh, is it the line 'take him and cut him...'? I don't think it makes sense to take it literally in the context of the poem, but it's easily ammened to:

'Take him and rearrange him out in little stars'
 
B@Th*nG said:
it's a funeral, isn't it all a little morbid?

B@
Click to expand...

Doesn't have to be

At my Gran's funeral my dad stood up and told a bunch of funny stories about her in amongst an overview of the things she'd done with her life.

Re: the poem - I think its fine, if that's what you want
 
It's what you feel that matters - however I think it's very appropriate and a very nice touch. Sorry for your loss, I hope the funeral goes well.
 
Sure, it's morbid if you take 'cutting up' literally, but it's not, so don't.

I'd say it, if it feels right.
 
It it feels right my friend, use it. This was read at my girlfriend's grandad funeral late last month. She was very close to him. A lovely little piece:

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 are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
But no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always 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 effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
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 around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
 
Your mum probably likes it because of the romance she shared with your dad. With the stars and the night.

Your grandma might not like the 'garish sun' part at the end, being her 'son/sun'. The light of her life.

I'm not being contrary, the poem is nice and short and very lovely, but I would put your dads mum's feelings on the same level as your mums, respect them equally and choose another poem.
 
Rudyard Kipling's "If"

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 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 impostors 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 breathe 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
 
I wrote this for my dad's funeral in February. Managed to read it out without breaking up as well.

An Ode to Pops

Brought together in grief, for a loved one who died,
Where hearts ached with sadness, they now swell with pride.
Pride for a husband who cherished his wife,
Pride for a father whose sons were his life.

The sorrow we feel is borne from the pain,
Of the thought that we'll not see our father again.
But we carry the memory of the battles he fought,
The virtues he gave us and the lessons he taught.

His unwavering devotion as a family man,
His affirmations of "always, do the best that you can".
His protection so strong, advice always wise,
Integrity and honour shone through grey eyes.

He looked after us all, like a good father would,
I hope the same traits run through my blood.
So when my time comes, and spirit-winds calls my name,
I hope ‘my’ deeds in life can be measured the same.

Now with your body at rest, your spirit has flown,
You continue your journey to a life yet unknown.
Fly to the stars but wherever you soar,
You will stay in our hearts, forever more.

So good night "pops" and thank you, for the life that you gave,
Your qualities, your strength and your battles so brave,
We'll honour your words and 'do the best that we can',
In your sons and your wife, in death as in life,
You will always be our……superman.

(cue superman movie soundtrack music)
 
Here is another good one that was read at my grandmas funeral.:

You can shed tears that he is gone,
Or you can smile because he lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he left.

Your heart can be empty because you cannot see him,
Or you can be full of the love that you shared.
You can turn your back on tommorow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember him and only that he is gone,
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what he would want; smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom