I lost my beloved gran on Sunday night after she had long endured Alzheimers disease.
I would like to read a nice poem at her funeral, does anyone know any good ones, nothing too holy or morbid, I would write one myself but my mind just feels numb.

So sorry to hear about your loss, my thoughts go out to you...
Try the below

Autumn Rain

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 the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.

by Mary E. Frye

Or

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free
I’m following the path God has laid you see.
I took His hand when I heard him call
I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way
I found that peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss
Oh yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full, I savored much
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and peace to thee
God wanted me now; He set me free.

Bear - my sincere sympathies on the loss of your Gran.

Something simple from your heart about what she meant to you, how she made you feel etc as you grew up would be nice. It doesn't have to be a poem. But I think a few simple but truly personal words are what people will remember.

Think about something really special about her that you will always remember with fondness and a smile. For my Gran who died 6 years ago I will never forget her baking bread. There was always bread rising somewhere in the house and her homeade lemonade. Although I will never smell or taste them again in real life, they are always in my memories.

hth

Pam n the boys

Sorry to hear of your loss Bear :(

Ali

Sorry to hear of your loss. The poem Autumn Rain was given to me when my mum died. Think of her as having moved on to the next stage of life rather than death.
Bec

I'm so sorry about your gran. I too love that poem, it is so simple and yet so uplifting :)

Take care
Lindsay
X

I feel for you Bear. I lost my father with Alzheimers just a few short years ago and after years of doing just about everything for him it meant that when he went and the work stopped there seemed a big hole in my life. So I know just what you are going through.

My thoughts are with you.

John

Sorry to hear about your loss. There's something special about a loved Grannie.
A friend had this read at his funeral:

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 still are.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the same way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Smile, think of me, pray for me,
Let my name be ever the household word that it was,
Let it be spoken without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
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."

There is also this - it sounds better in the original Gaelic, but I don't speak it, and I doubt if you do....

A Gaelic Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ to you.

Dear Bear

I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

Gina xxxx

My Dear Friend
I am so sorry for your loss and my thoughts are with you and your kin at this sad time.

Take care and I will talk to you later.

Beck.x

so very sorry to hear of your loss Bear :(

SaraW

Fountain of Love

I hear you cried a fountain
Because I went away
I hear that you reach out for me
every single day
I know that there’s not many songs
that you can bear to hear
that do not make you feel so sad
and want me to be near
please don’t cry a fountain because you think I’m dead
I’m here beside you every day
I’m here inside your head
I’m here with every breath you take
and every night when you’re asleep
into your room I gently creep
and place a kiss on your forehead
oh no my Love I am not dead
for there is no such thing you know
and I am here to prove it so
When my body grew so tired
and my heart was beating slow
and when my legs refused to move
I knew it was my time to go
Please don’t cry a fountain
I’m here with you forever
though my body’s gone to dust
I will leave you never !

Glenys fryer

those were read at my aunties funeral bear So sorry for you and your dear nan

A million times I needed you A million times I cried
If love alone could have saved you
You never would have died
In life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place no one will ever fill
If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane
I,d walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again
Our family chain is broken
and nothing seems the same
but god calls us one by one so the chain will link again

message from heaven to dear ones
Im free
Dont grieve for me for now im free
Im following the path god laid for me
I took his hand when i heard him call
I turned my back and left it all
I could not stay another day
to laugh to love to work or play
tasks left undone must stay that way
I found that place at the close of day
If my parting has left a void
then fill it with remembered joy
Afriendship shared a laugh a kiss
Ah yes these things I too will miss
be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow
My lifes been full I savoured much
good friends good times
A loved ones touch
perhaps my time seemed all too brief
dont lenghten it now with undue grief
lift up your hearts and share with me
God wanted me now He set me free

Mari

Poor Bear, I'm so sorry for you . My husband Richard lost both his parents to Alzheimer's, and it was a terrible time in our lives, so I know how you feel.

Love and hugs

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Hi Bear

Really sorry to hear about your Gran. I know it's dreadfully hard at the moment but think how many people there are right now who never met her but because of your post on Champ-dogs are thinking about her and you.

Take care

Jo

I'm very sorry to hear of ur loss :(

ttfn :(

Hi Bear

I lost my nana a few years ago she was so special to me, some times people do not think it would be possiable to love a nan so much but you do.

There is a beautiful poem called footprints, not so much for you to read at the funeral but one to help you through this rough time ahead.

I really do feel for you as I know how much a dear nan can touch you in that special way.

Here is the poem I wrote for my nana,

I once had a dear old nana
who thought the world of me
if ever i was in trouble
she would sit me on here knee

that night that i sat crying
besides my nana's bed
a angel came from heaven
and this is what he said

your nan is tired and weary
a fighter to the end
grandad now is waiting
with eternity she will spend

i know that nans are special gifts
that god can only lend
but she wasnt just a nan to me
she was my greatest friend

Good night nana God bless loving grandaughter Heidi (bab) xXxXxXxXxXx

Going to have a cry now

Bear

Sorry to hear about your sad loss.

Take care

Lucy
xx

Just to add my condolences as well.
A simple little phrase has always stuck in my mind -

'Say not in grief that she is no more, but in thankfulness that she was'.

Joyce

Sorry to hear about your loss Bear. Am thinking of you.
Jean

Thanks everyone for your kind words and lovely poems which have got the tears flowing again, my Gran was very special to everyone and the funeral tomorrow is going to be the biggest outpouring of grief which I know she wouldnt want but no one will be able to help 'cos they all loved her so much.
The strangest thing is I think, she died on the 30th, the same day that the Queen Mother died last year, and some of you may remember my sadness at that on this board. I have always associated my Gran with the Queen Mum as they looked quite alike and both had the same serenity and sweet smile. Life is full of many coincidences.
My Gran's name is Alice MacPherson, please can you include her in your thoughts and prayers tonight and tomorrow because she was a great lady who meant the world to me and always will.

Bear xxx

Will do, Bear. Bless you.

So sorry to hear of your sad loss.
I lost my mother and a daughter within the space of 2 years and the grief was unbearable.
Now 11 and 9 years on they are still constantly on my mind but the pain does get easier - it never goes fully though.
I found the best way was to talk about them whenever I wanted and also to cry whenever I needed to.
Thinking of you at this sad time
xxxxx

Very good advice

Lucy

I will be thinking of you tommorow xx

This will be a tough day for you. Can't even imagine what you are going through. I am very very close to my Gran and dread the day........

God Bless. Thinking of you both.

Claire.
xx

My gran's funeral was yesterday and although it was a nice tribute ( they even had a piper playing for her - just like the Queen Mum's funeral! ) I will never forget the sadness of it and her songs keep echoing in my head which is driving me crazy.
I read the poem 'Fountain of tears' - thanks to the person who posted it, all my family loved it and want a copy so hopefully it will be some comfort to them all. I just wish I could have held it together more ( my dad and his siblings did and their dignity was breathtaking ) but much to my shame I broke down and bawled like a baby. Don't want to have to go through anything like this again, its so horrible.
Thanks again for all your kind words and help.

I rather let the side down at my father's funeral too, Bear, so I know just how you feel. I just wanted "my daddy" back, and although I was grown-up with my own family I felt like a lost 10-year old. :(

Be glad you knew and loved her, and that her love for you will never die. Take care. :)

Dear Bear ~ so so sorry to read about your Gran. I lost my nan last year. Sending you lots of huges and there is nothing wrong in breaking down and letting it all out. Your find your be doing this for some time. Even now I still have a few tears. So sorry. Julieann xxx

Bear,

hope you are ok, thinking of you

Its better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. xxxxxxxxx

Hi Bear,

My thoughts are with you, and just try to remeber your Nan would want you to recall her with a smile.

I lost my brother in a car accident he was just 26, and although it's taken a long time, now when we speak of him which is often it's usually about something that either makes us laugh or makes us cringe (he was such an idiot, but I think that's what brothers are put on the earth for to embaress their sisters)

Again my thoughts are with you and I will say a prayer for your nan.

Look after yourself and give your Dad a hug.

Karen

Hi Bear,
I wanted to let you know how sad I am for you. I lost my most special grandma going on 8 years, she was like my mom to me ( Ilived most my life with her). I still haven't really accepted her death, because it feels that she went on a cruise or some sort of trip and that I am just waiting for her return----kinda crazy I guess, but that's how it feels for me. I'm not really sad, just waiting to see her again. She will always be "there".

Carissa

Bumble - thats exactly how I feel, and not wanting to sound too morbid or anything but I no longer fear death because I know when I go I will get to see her and cuddle her again.

My grandparents died in 1923, 1934, 1951 and 1958 - I was born in 1955. Does anyone else share the feeling that they want to grieve for people that they never knew ?

Daisy

Definitely. I was recently reading my great-great-great-grandfather's letters that he wrote in the 1860's when he was in British Columbia, marking the 49th Parallel. He came across as such a wonderful, loving family man. When I discovered that he died in his forties, I felt really bereft. Silly, because he'd been dead for over 100 years. His son and grand-daughter (my grandmother) also died before WW2. From what I've heard, they were worth knowing, too.

I am just so grateful that my children were born having four grandparents - although two have since died, one when they were very small. At least they will have some good memories - I just have second-hand ones - it would have been so nice to have known my grandparents :)

Daisy

I feel the same as you about death. It will be one huge awesome party once we get there.

Carissa

Bear Im so glad you used my poem and that it brought comfort to you please feel free to copy it and give it to your family.

XXX
Hope you will feel better soon.

Edit:

This is a part of a peom I have which was writen for a beloved dog but this part is also applicable to a loved person.

Excerpt from Dont by maggie Moore.

Don’t criticize my lonely walks
Or wonder at my solitary talks
They help to bring her near to me
Just like the way it used to be
Don’t come to me in two weeks time
And make my grief feel like a crime
For those like me who understand
Grief and Love go hand in hand
So please don’t make me feel a fool
Or hold me up to ridicule
Please understand my loss is real
And love for her I’ll always feel
My loss will lessen in a while
When thoughts of her will bring a smile
So please be patient,help me through
Show me that you’re my friend too.

hiya
that is a beutiful poem and
it was read at my
gran funarul
and it is all true
dear bear
sorry
4 your los
i no what you are going through

sorry for you loss
souds a nice tribute though
xxxxxxxx

Bear, so sorry to hear of your loss.  Such a hard time.  My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. 

Re: Excerpt from Dont by maggie Moore.

Such a wonderful piece.  I read it, not only thinking of those lovely family members and friends I have lost, but about my beautiful Joy.  (tears)

An old post but thought i would share this poem that I read at my grandads funeral. My family said i couldnt do it as id be too upset but i just focussed on the funeral director stood at the back and read. Got to the last paragraph and noticed the Funeral director wiping tears away. I struggled through the last few lines but did it. Some of you will recognise it as the poem from 4 weddings & a funeral:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

    -- W.H. Auden

This post is 5 years old! 

so sorry for your loss.

xx