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Verse for the loss of a male relative or friend
Dear Granddad
To explain
in words what you meant to us
Is
something hard to do.
So many
memories throughout our lives
Are ones
so filled with you.
Every
Birthday, Christmas or main event
From
childhood through to now,
Engagements, Weddings our children's births
You were
there to celebrate and love us all.
These days
and other days you were there
To share
our lives – always happy,
Laughing
and smiling with us –
You never
missed a thing.
You had so
much love to give us –
Each and
every Grandchild –
It is hard
to imagine another day
Without
seeing your smile.
Your smile
and laugh that could light up our day –
And does
not end as this day fades.
For all of
us can look up into the sky tonight and see
The
brightest twinkling star.
That star
will be there every night
For all of
us to see,
Just like
the memories and love
We will
carry in our hearts
Each and
every day.
Granddad
we will love you now and always.
Natasha
Fisher
We Will
Take This Special Moment
We
will take this special moment
To
turn our thoughts to Dad
Thank
him for the home he gave
For
all the things we had.
We
think about the fleeting years
Too
quickly, gone for good
It
seems like only yesterday
We’d
go back if we could.
A
time when Dad was always there,
No
matter what the weather.
Always
strong when things went wrong
He
held our lives together.
He
strived so hard from day to day
And
never once complained.
With
steady hands, he worked so hard
And
kept the family name.
He
taught us that hard work pays off,
You
reap just what you sow.
He
said that if you tend your crops,
Your
field will overflow.
Our lives
have been bountiful
He
taught us how to give
In
his firm and steadfast way
He
taught us how to live.
Author unknown
A Remarkable Man
A remarkable
man is gone now,
And this
world seems
A little
lessened somehow
Because he is
not part of it...
A little less
wise and great,
A little less
good and brave.
May it help
to know that
He will never
be forgotten
By those
whose lives he touched.
And may your
own cherished memories
Bring you
comfort and peace.
Author unknown
Fathers
Love
There are
times when only a fathers love
Can
understand our tears.
Can soothe
away our disappointments
And calm our
fears.
There are
times when only a fathers love
Can share the
joy we feel.
When
something we’ve dreamed about
Quite simply
turns out to be real.
There are
times when only a fathers love
Can help us
on life’s way.
And inspire
in us the confidence
We need from
day to day.
For a fathers
heart and a fathers faith-
And a fathers
steadfast love
Were given to
us all so unselfishly-
Day after day
after day.
Author unknown
What
Is
a
Dad
A dad is one
of life’s best gifts
Someone to
treasure all life through
He’s caring
and loving
Thoughtful
and true.
Someone who
is always a special part of your life,
Someone who
holds a prime place in your heart.
He’s a
mentor, a confidant and also a friend,
Someone on
whose love you can depend.
A dad always
has your best interests at heart,
He’s someone
so dear and so good,
He’s a
blessing, he’s a gift,
He’s a
treasure like no other,
He’s someone
that is truly wonderful.
Wherever you
go, and whatever you do,
A dad’s love
will always see you through,
A dad is
truly invaluable,
Indispensable
and unforgettable.
I wouldn’t
want anyone but you,
And that’s
why I’m so grateful
That life
picked you for me.
Author unknown
Legacy of Love
A husband, a
father, a grandfather too,
This is the
legacy we have from you.
You taught us
love and how to fight,
You gave us
strength, you gave us might.
A stronger
person would be hard to find,
You were
stubborn in body, stubborn in mind.
Your style
and your manner, so refined,
And in your
heart, you were always kind.
You fought
for us all, in one way or another,
Not just as a
husband, not just as a father.
For all of us
you gave your best,
Now the time
has come for you to rest.
So go in
peace, you’ve earned your sleep,
Your love in
our hearts, we’ll eternally keep.
Finch family
Granddad
We had a
wonderful granddad,
One who never
really grew old;
His smile was
made of sunshine,
And his heart
was solid gold;
His eyes were
as bright as shining stars,
And in his
cheeks fair roses you see.
We had a
wonderful granddad
And that’s
the way it will always be.
But take
heed, because
He’s still
keeping an eye on all of us,
So let’s make
sure
He will like
what he sees.
Author unknown
Everything About My Granddad
Everything
about my granddad
Was
something special and full of love
He took
the time to add that extra touch
That said
“I love you very much”
He fixed
my hurts with a pat and a smile
And told
good stories granddad-style
He was
warm and steady and rarely gruff
And
admiring of my attempts at making stuff
And when I
say my prayers at night
I ask God
to bless and hold him tight
‘Cause
when it came to giving hugs
My
granddad’s arms were filled with love!
Author unknown
For
Granddad
I just wanted
to let you know
That you will
always be,
A very special person,
Who meant the
world to me.
From the time I could remember,
Until this
very sad day,
You only grew more handsome
With your
tender touch of grey.
You took the time to listen
To what I
hade to say,
Which means so very much
In this world
of disarray.
And even though some lines
Had marched
across your face,
To me they've added character
And were in
their proper place.
And I saw you were unchanging
In a world
that's changing fast;
To me you were the link
Between my future and my past
The years
will come and go
And I know
that things will change,
But the memories I have of you,
In my heart
will always remain.
Author unknown
Our Grumps
As we look
back upon the years
We see a
life so full,
We need
not shed so many tears
Husband,
Father, Grandfather,
Friend, he
was all of these
Teacher,
mentor and
Someone
with which –
You could
always shoot the breeze
His
memory lives on through
The people
that he knew.
He made us
smile and laugh
And we
loved his style – so funny and true.
He’ll be
with us always,
Like the
breeze on a summer day
We’ll
think of him with fondness
When we
see our children play.
We’ll
celebrate his life
And what
he has given us
He was
honest, hardworking,
Honourable
- and just.
His memory
will be forever
Safely in
our heart
Knowing
that he loved us
Makes it
easier to part.
Author unknown
The Strength of a Mountain
We’ll think
of the
Strength of a
mountain
The majesty
of a tree,
The warmth of
a summer sun,
The calm of a
quiet sea,
The generous
soul of nature,
The
comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of
the ages,
The power of
an eagles flight.
Then the
combination of these qualities,
There was
nothing more to add.
A masterpiece
was now complete,
We lovingly
called it...
... Dad
Author unknown
He Took Good Care of Me
I was his
child, his special love for so long
I turned
to him when life went wrong
He’d dry
my tears and hold me tight
When I was
ill all through the night
I was his
precious child right from the start
My place
assured within his heart.
He took
good care of me and made me smile
He showed
me my dreams were truly worthwhile,
He told me
he loved me each and every day
It’s so
hard now to have him pass away
He was
there on the very day I was born
And said
his life was turned around from that day on
The years
moved on, he watched me grow
The proud
father still watching me now, I know!
He said
I’d turn out a strong adult myself one day
His duty
done and now so sadly he couldn’t stay
He took
good care of me and made me proud
This man,
my father, so capable, big and loud
His heart
beat fast and hard for me
His child
I’ll be through eternity.
He took
good care of me.
Sue Henthorn©
10.9.2006
Our Dad
If there
were a man on this earth, against which one should be
measured
He'd have
traits to aspire to and friendship that's treasured.
He'd have
time, he'd have love, he'd have compassion and grace
He'd have
laugh lines and wrinkles... from smiles on his face
He'd have
wisdom in spades, and be modest most of the times
He'd say
what he felt, no reading between lines.
He'd be
happy to teach, and be first to encourage
He'd be
last to say no, or use words to discourage
We know of
a man, who lives now in our heart
Who had
all these things right down to an art
Dad,
you’re this person, this measuring stick
With a
back once so strong and arms once so thick
We'll miss
all your stories, so entrenched in our minds
The
parties and laughter – and many good times
Opinions
that differed, about this and that
Even all
of the dummies, that all of us spat
Now that
you've passed, and your time's at an end
It's
goodbye to you now, our very best friend
But before
you move on to find your beloved’s side
There is
just one final thing we'd like to confide
When the
ruler of life is held up to be
We hope
that we make it - at least - to your knee.
Author unknown
His
Journey
Don’t think of him as
gone away,
His journey has just
begun.
Life holds so many
facets,
This earth is only one.
Just think of him as
resting
From the sorrow and the
tears
In a place of warmth and
comfort
Where there are no days
or years.
Think how he must be
wishing
That we could know today
How nothing but our
sadness
Can really pass away.
And think of him as
living
In the hearts of those
he touched,
For nothing loved is
ever lost
And he was loved so
much.
Author
unknown
As We Look Back
Father, as we
look back over time
We find
ourselves wondering…
Did we
remember to thank you enough
For all you
have done for us?
For all the
times you were by our sides
To help and
support us…
To celebrate
our successes…
To understand
our problems…
And accept
our defeats?
Or for
teaching us by your example,
The value of
hard work, good judgment,
Courage and
integrity?
We wonder if
we ever thanked you
For the
sacrifices you made.
To let us
have the very best?
And for the
simple things
Like
laughter, smiles and times we shared?
If we have
forgotten to show our
Gratitude
enough for all the things you did,
Dad, we’re
thanking you now.
And we are
hoping you knew all along,
How very much
you meant to us.
Author unknown
How
Did He Live
Not, how did
he die, but how did he live?
Not what did
he gain, but what did he give?
These are the
units to measure the worth
Of a man as a
man, regardless of birth.
Not what was
his church, nor what was his creed?
But had he
befriended those really in need?
Was he ever
ready, with words of good cheer?
To bring back
a smile, to banish a tear
Not what did
the notice’s in the paper say
But how many
were sorry when he passed away
Author unknown
I
Miss You Dad
I miss you dad
With all my heart
Your life was too short
The good times about to
start.
The seasons will pass
So quick, as they do
And your presence will
be missed
While I struggle on
through
We had lots of good
times
And plenty of fun
Now I am lonely for you
The clouds have covered
my sun
The years seem to yawn
Without you here with me
I hope you are at peace
now
I hope you are free
Sue
Henthorn©
Today is the Bridge
If
yesterday is for cherished memories
And
tomorrow presents a range of possibilities
Then today
is the bridge that links the two
If
yesterday fills us with warmth and joy
And
tomorrow presents as hard and cold
Then today
seems a distance too great to travel alone
If
yesterday holds our hopes and dreams
And
tomorrow presents as so far away
Then today
seems like an impassable void
If
yesterday is forever locked in our hearts
And
tomorrow will come as it always does
Then today
we will do what we must do
Today we
must say goodbye to this special man
A husband,
father, son, brother and friend
Who
yesterday gave us so many wonderful memories
And
tomorrow will forever remain in our hearts
Rick Brooks
Our Father Kept a Garden
Our Father
kept a garden
A garden
of the heart
He planted
all the good things
That gave
our lives their start
He turned
us to the sunshine
And
encouraged us to dream
Fostering
and nurturing
The seeds
of self-esteem
And when
the winds and rain came
He
protected us enough -
But not
too much because he knew
We’d need
to stand up strong and tough
His
constant good example
Always
taught us right from wrong -
Markers
for our pathway
That
will last a lifetime long.
We are our
Father’s garden.
We are his
legacy -
And we
hope today he feels the love
Reflected
back unconditionally.
Author unknown
Smile and Go On
You can shed
tears that he has gone
Or you can
smile because he has lived.
You can close
your eyes and pray that he’ll come back
Or you can
open your eyes and see all that he’s left
Your heart
can be empty because you can’t see him
Or you can be
full of the love you shared
You can turn
your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be
happy for tomorrow because of yesterday
You can
remember him and only that he’s 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’d want:
Smile, open
your eyes, love and go on.
Anonymous
Poppie
We had a
wonderful poppie,
One who never
really grew old;
His smile was
made of sunshine,
And his heart
was solid gold;
His eyes were
as bright as shining stars,
And in his
cheeks some wrinkles you’d see.
We had a
wonderful poppie
And that’s
the way it will always be.
But take
heed, because
He’s still
keeping an eye on all of us,
So let’s make
sure
He will like
what he sees.
Author unknown
A Dad is a Special Gift
A dad is a
special gift
And one you
think will stay
You never
dream the day will come
When he will
go away
For those
that have a dad –
Cherish him
while you may
Because I
would give the world
To have my
dad - here today.
Author unknown
Grandad
Grandad
Everyone’s
sad and I understand why
But I don’t
feel I want to cry
Because I
know the secret of where you are
And know I
don’t have to look very far
Given wings
so you could fly
I’ll miss you
Grandad but I won’t cry
I know you
watch me as I sleep
I know you
hear me when I speak
Finally
you’ve been set free
To be all you
were meant to be
A rainbow, a
storm, a sunlit sky
I’ll miss you
Grandad but I won’t cry
Because now
you’re with me everyday
I feel you
watching me as I play
In all the
beauty surrounding me
I see my
Grandad looking back at me
I’ll miss
your hugs, your hand to hold
I’ll miss watching you grow old
I’ll miss you Grandad but I won’t cry
Because
your spirit, your love will never die.
Author Unknown
Granddad You Have Left Us
Granddad you have left us and you
feel no more pain
In the place where you wait till you see us again
I will miss your
laughter, fun, and strength.
I will miss the things I used to do with you.
I will miss the time, now filled with emptiness,
I will miss your wisdom that carried me through.
I need to say goodbye although you’re with me
I stand
beside your coffin, yet you are here.
I miss you terribly and
hope you miss me
But when I turn to
you, you're always near.
I know each day I feel you’re with me,
But, here, as always, you must be my
guide.
And so goodbye does not mean
you are gone
So long as I still love
you, you’ll always live on.
Author unknown
Dear
Dad
We know in our heart
You are now without pain
But we can’t believe
We won’t see you again
Your courage and
strength
In all you endured
Gave us hope and the
wish
That one day you’d be
cured
We miss you and love you
May your spirit be free
Your smile we shall see.
Author
unknown
I
Held Your Hands
I held your hands as we
lived and loved
For over ninety years
those old gnarled hands
That once - were young
and smooth
Created beautiful school
work
Chopped wood and stacked
it
Crated truckloads of
fruit
Smacked naughty
children’s bottoms
Cuddled three
generations of babies
And wrote many newsy
letters to friends.
Those hands wrote
decades of diaries
Faithfully recording the
mundane
And the interesting
times.
Your hands would fold as
you listened avidly to
The latest news about
your grandchildren
And great grandchildren
Their careers, their
academic achievements
Or-their latest antics.
I can visualise your
hands then
All a-flutter with
delight
We will all miss you
And those hands that
held and helped
Us all - whenever we
needed you.
I held your hands as you
lay dying.
I held your hands.
Sue
Henthorn©
Hands of Love
Hands that
held us firmly
From the
moment of our birth
Their strong
touch remembered
By us here on
this earth.
Strong and
steady those hands
That taught
us how to play
Banishing
childhood fears
They soothed
them all away.
When we grew
much older
And troubles
came our way
Those hands
holding ours
Did more than
words could say.
Father’s
hands were always there
They’re
missed so very much
We’d give the
world to feel once more
His handshake
and steady touch
And softly he did leave
us
Like the petals from the
rose that fall
Holding on to his son’s
hands
As he bid us goodbye –
And goodbye to us all.
Sue
Henthorn©
Mates
Mate,
When you are sad, I
will get you drunk and help you
Plot revenge against
the sorry bastard who made you sad.
When you are blue, I
will try to dislodge
Whatever it is that
is choking you.
When you smile, I
will know you finally got laid.
When you are scared,
I will rag you about it
Every chance I get.
When you are worried,
I will tell you horrible stories
About how much worse
it could be, and to quit whining.
When you are
confused, I will use little words
To explain it to your
dumb arse.
When you are sick,
stay away from me
Until you are well
again. I don’t want whatever you have.
When you trip, I will
point and laugh at your clumsy arse.
This is my oath….. I
pledge ‘til the end
Why. You may ask?
Because you’re my
friend.
Author unknown
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 breath 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! Rudyard
Kipling
When I Must Leave You
When I
must leave you for a little while
Please do
not grieve and shed wild tears
And hug
your sorrow to you through the years
But start
out bravely with a gallant smile;
And for my
sake and in my name
Live on
and do all things the same,
Feed not
your loneliness on empty days,
But fill
each waking hour in useful ways,
Reach out
your hand in comfort and in cheer
And I in
turn will comfort you and hold you near;
And never
- never be afraid to die,
For I am
waiting for you in the sky!
Author
unknown
The only people who
fear death are those with regrets
Remember growing
older is mandatory,
Growing up is optional.
Keep laughing -keep
dreaming
Keep growing
And regret nothing.
Sue Henthorn©
Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow wrote…
Ships that pass in the night, and
speak each other in passing,
Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the
darkness;
So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another,
Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a
silence.
Excerpts from “The
Rubaiyat”
Dreaming when dawns
left hand was in the sky,
I heard a voice
within the tavern cry,
“Awake my little
ones and fill the cup,
Before life’s liquid
in its cup be dry.”
And as the cock
crew
those who stood
before the tavern shouted
“Open then the door,
You know how little
time we have to stay
And once departed,
may return no more.
Omar Khayam 11th
Century
Dad Made Sure That We Won
My dad was a man who
liked being with me
Telling a joke and
singing real loud
His collar turned up
– some vampire he’d be
Or maybe he was
playing at being Elvis
By lookin’ so cool
And we’d laugh along
with him
As he mucked about
playin’ the fool
He loved spiders and
bugs
And the playstation-three
That was just ours
And getting the
baddies on “Call of Duty”
Could take hours and
hours.
I would pick any
soldier to take them all on
A marksman a
grenadier
And dad made sure
that we won
He taught me how to
ride a motorbike
And we’d swim
together at the quarry
And fish off the
jetty at Rockingham
With never a worry
Now I’ll play on my
own
But in my heart
he’ll still be
Guiding me and
helping
He’ll never leave
me.
Sue Henthorn for
Cameron©
Live Today
Don’t live in sorrow
for what might have been
Don’t live in fear
of what is yet unseen
Don’t live for
yesterday – for it has passed
Don’t live for
tomorrow – as it comes so fast
Live today and every
day
Live the now in
every way
Live and breathe and
taste life’s pleasures
And you will find a
lot to treasure.
Robyn Dear
His Old Bones Creaked
His old bones
creaked
And his pace was
slow
But his smile was
blinding bright
His mind was sharp
And his voice was
kind
His manner a true
delight.
The world has
changed
In the winters he’d
known
But he bore their
weight with pride.
He shared his wisdom
And passed the
goodness on
Using his love of
life as a guide.
He did not bow to
time
Using life as his
stage
He sought every
morning’s joy
And was never
defeated by his age.
Author unknown
Father
In our eyes, Dad,
You will never grow
old
Time will never
erase the past
Or the priceless
gifts of yesterday
You are forever in
our heart
Forever our hero
Forever loved
Yet never forgotten
Author unknown
That a Man Is a Success
That a man
is a success
Is one who
has lived well
Laughed
often and loved much
Who has
gained the respect
Of
intelligent and hard working men
And the
love of his children
Who has
filled his niche
And
accomplished his task;
Who leaves
the world
Better
than he found it
Who has
never lacked appreciation
Of earth’s
beauty
Or failed
to express it;
Who looked
for the best in others
And who
gave the best he had.
William Bailey
John
Dunn’s Train Journey
22.1.1937
~ 20.6.2009
I started
out on this train of life,
As a child and a traveller
Trains my
passion -
Watching them pass on by
The tracks
and signals,
The steam, electric or the diesel
They would
whistle, clatter and
…On – by - they would fly.
Into my
teens I soon grew
And –
Somehow I knew,
That my life was gonna be
Just like
a train journey,
Just like
one long track
Sometimes
a loop -
Sometimes a switchback.
Met a
fellow traveller
Along the way
A proud
and lovely lady -
I hoped so much
That she
would stay
Spoke vows
of love -
As we travelled on our way,
Raised us
some kids -
Along our life track
Faced the
good
And bad
times, together
And
together
…We never looked back.
We’ve
loved and laughed,
As this
train of life rolled along,
Me singing
the verse,
You the chorus
To this
old travelling song.
The
carriage view changing
Sometimes
too fast -
As we laughed and we sang
Between
the platforms of our life -
The wheels turning,
To a soft
steady clang.
Racing by
so fast -
Your
final station reached
We parted for a while -
Just a couple of years back
On to that last platform
You stepped
While I went on alone
On down the track.
Now I see you ahead
As this train slows on down
Its light shining bright
As it rolls into this
Sparkling new town
A new
platform I see -
Swept bright and swept clean
One without
history -
A fresh start –
For you and
for me
Together
once more -
For all eternity.
Sue
Henthorn©
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