You may feel devastated if you just lost your mom or stepmom. Even if you expected her death because it followed a long illness, you may feel as if the wind was knocked out of you when she finally left you.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Funeral Poems for a Mom and Wife
- Funeral Poems for a Mom From a Child
- Funeral Poems About Mom Joining Her Spouse
- Funeral Poems for a Mom and Grandma
- Religious Funeral Poems for Mom
Use our resources as you prepare for your mom’s funeral. Learn some funeral poems that you may consider reading at the service. We include some rather “literary” poems written by famous poets, while others involve heartfelt verses written by amateur poets.
Funeral Poems for a Mom and Wife
Many people may miss your mom right now. Consider each of these relationships as you spend time writing the eulogy for your mother. For example, you may want to try to understand your dad's point of view as well.
1. “No More Will the Wind” by Hilda Doolittle
You might want to choose this melancholy funeral poem if your mother spent a lot of time outdoors. This non-rhyming poem includes the following lines:
“Nevermore
Shall we find you bright
In the snow and wind.
The snow is melted,
The snow is gone,
And you are flown.”
2. “Remember Me When I Am Gone Away” by Christina Rossetti
The speaker in this poem leaves instructors to those she leaves behind in “Remember Me When I Am Gone Away.” The deceased in the poem only wants people to remember her with a smile. If they can't do that, they'd rather them forget her.
3. “Redemption Song” by Kevin Young
Kevin Young attempts to describe feelings of grief in “Redemption Song.” The speaker in the poem sleeps “on clenched fists” and wonders how beauty can exist in the world after his loved one dies.
4. "Books, Paintings” by Ryszard Krynicki
Did your mom love words? Do her words of advice echo in your mind even though she has left you?
This poem describes the power of the words we leave behind. The books and paintings may soon disappear, but your mom’s words may live with you always.
Funeral Poems for a Mom From a Child
Many poets turn to their craft when they face the loss of a parent. Read through some poems written by award-winning poets. They may appeal to people who appreciate literature and want to share their grief with others.
5. “Oh antic God” by Lucille Clifton
You may long for the mother of your youth as you plan the memorial service for her. In this short poem, the speaker relives a moment from childhood. The speaker thinks about what her mom looked like as she leaned across the front porch, “summoning me in for bed.”
Maybe you miss specific things about your mom, such as the sound of her voice or the scent of her hand lotion.
6. “Sudden” by Nick Flynn
Did you suddenly lose your mom? Do you feel as if it would have been easier if the death would have been more gradual? This poem will speak to you. The speaker in the poem says, “If it had been terminal, we could have cradled her as she grew smaller, wiped her mouth, said good-bye. But it was sudden.”
7. “Speaking to My Dead Mother” by Ruth Stone
We know that the title of this poem may be somewhat jarring, but it may describe how you reacted to the death of your mom. Some people can stay present when a loved one takes her last breath and others find it too difficult to manage. This poem describes a person reeling with the loss of her mom even after a year has passed.
8. “After Your Death” by Natasha Trethewey
Some poets write about the tasks that follow death. From throwing out old fruit to emptying the clothes out of a closet, each job may seem fraught with meaning.
You may connect with the speaker in this poem if you clean out your mother’s things.
Funeral Poems About Mom Joining Her Spouse
You may feel some solace at the loss of your mom if you believe she joined her love in the afterlife. Read some poems about being together again.
9. “Reunited” by Jack Horne
This short, sweet funeral poem may fit if your mom recently joined your dad in heaven. The second stanza reads:
“Her husband took her hand
And whispered ‘Welcome Dear’
It’s been so very long —
we won’t be parted here.”
10. “Together Again” by Unknown
You can purchase an attractive copy of this heartfelt poem on Etsy to give to other mourners at your mom’s funeral. This poem describes a woman reuniting with her husband, who previously passed.
11. “God Saw You Getting Tired” by Unknown
Even though the bulk of this poem describes the death of one person, one of the lines says, “two golden hearts stopped beating.” If you want a poem that speaks about the death of your mom and dad, consider this one.
12. “Dear Mom and Dad in Heaven” by Unknown
The speaker in this poem gives a special message to parents in heaven. If your parents live on in your memories, you will connect with this touching poem.
Funeral Poems for a Mom and Grandma
As sad as you feel at the loss of your mother, your children, nieces, and nephews have lost a beloved grandmother. Read through some poems about that special relationship.
13. “She is Gone” by David Harkins
No specific relationship gets listed in this poem, but it is about the loss of a beloved woman. It begins,
“You can shed tears that she is gone.
Or you can smile because she has lived.”
14. “Legacy of Love” by Unknown
This rhyming poem would make a wonderful tribute for your mom or grandma, especially if she was known for having a feisty spirit. It begins,
“A wife, a mother, a grandmother 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.”
15. “A Wonderful Grandmother” by Unknown
Perhaps you would like to celebrate the relationship that your mom had with her grandkids. The last stanza gives a word of advice to the grandkids left behind:
“She’s still keeping an eye on all of us,
So let’s make sure
She will like what she sees.”
Religious Funeral Poems for Mom
Was your mother’s faith an essential part of her life? Some faith-based poems might fit exactly what you need. Of course, you could use some of these as funeral songs for your mom. Song lyrics work well as poems, too!
16. “Shall We Gather at the River” by Robert Lowry
Try using this song as a funeral poem. Read each word carefully instead of singing the words. This song/poem begins:
“Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright, angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God.”
17. 42nd Psalm
Although you might associate the 23rd Psalm with deathbed readings and funerals, you may consider the 42nd Psalm for your mother’s funeral. It describes the need for God during times of trouble. It begins,
“As a deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?”
18. “When Tomorrow Starts Without Me” by David Romano
The speaker in this poem, the deceased, offers a gender-neutral account of leaving this earth and entering the kingdom of heaven. It includes the stanza:
“But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name
And took me by the hand.”
19. “Abide With Me” by Henry Francis Lyte
You can use this beautiful hymn as a funeral poem if you wish. An Anglican minister in the 1700s who was facing death wrote this poem. One particularly poignant stanza reads,
“I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness
Where is death’s sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still if Thou abide with me.”
Finding the Perfect Words
Grief comes with so many emotions.
As you get used to life without your mom, those emotions may change. You may find that the poems that spoke to you right after her death may not be as meaningful in three years.
Even if you don’t connect with some of these poems now, you may revisit them later on in life.