New Year is a time for celebration and togetherness. Though this is the start of a new chapter, many people like to look back on those they’ve lost. The right sympathy poems or memorial poems set the scene for this reflective time of year.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Parents or Grandparents
- ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Siblings
- ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Children or Adult Children
- ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for a Partner or Spouse
- ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Friends
Poems capture feelings that are hard to put into words. They use metaphors and symbolism to share moments and perspectives that we don’t always feel comfortable sharing ourselves. This New Year, use the magic of poetry to grow closer with those you love as well as those who are no longer with you.
How do you say ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ to someone special? These ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ poems are perfect for sharing, sending online condolences, and doing some self-reflection.
‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Parents or Grandparents
Losing a parent or grandparent is never easy. These influential figures are a huge part of our lives, and their lessons and kindness live on even when they’re gone. These ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ poems will keep them in your thoughts.
1. "New Year’s Reflections" by Joanna Fuchs
This poem offers listeners a chance to reflect on the past while looking forward. By “recalling all the happy times,” it’s possible to “reflect upon who really counts.” Though your parents or grandparents might no longer be with you, you’ll carry their love with you always.
2. "New Year" by Sanda Hearth
Not all years are easy, but the New Year is a chance to “forget our troubles and woes.” This poem encourages a search for peace and love in times of change, even though things sometimes get difficult.
3. “Mild is the Parting Year” by Walter Savage Landor
This is an emotional, moving poem about the sadness that often accompanies the new year. Though the change might be mild and sweet, life passes on a “rudely fleet.” At the end of it all, you wait for things to get better, and save your tears for another day.
4. “The Year” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a poet with a keen understanding of the complex emotions behind each of life’s most significant changes. She sums it up simply: “The new years come, the old years go.” This idea of changing tides encourages us to live another day and “hug the world until it stings.”
‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Siblings
Siblings are our earliest friends. Losing a sibling is like losing a part of yourself and your childhood. These ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ poems keep our siblings’ memories near and dear.
5. "The Journey of My Life" by Rabindranath Tagore
Living a beautiful, powerful life means never having any regrets. By envisioning her own demise, Tagore paints a beautiful picture of newness and remembrance. The poem reads, “When you live in the hearts of those you love, remember then, you never die.”
6. "Song of Myself" by Walt Witman
Witman’s famous “Song of Myself” is an ode to nature, togetherness, and new life. Like the New Year itself, love continues to grow for the rest of time.
7. “There is no night” by Helen Steiner Rice
This well-loved poem holds perfect symbolism for a New Year celebration. Remind yourself and loved ones that “there is no night without a dawning” and “no winter without a spring.” Though times might be difficult, brighter days are always ahead.
8. “In Remembrance” by Christine Currah
A sibling’s love lasts more than a lifetime. Because your sibling was such an essential part of your life, you will never truly be alone. What better way to ring in the New Year than by thanking them in Heaven for always being there?
‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Children or Adult Children
The loss of a child is unimaginable. Honoring their life and memory with a ‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ poem is a powerful way to share their legacy.
9. "Goodnight" by A. E. Housman
Though losing a child is the worst grief parents can imagine, “Goodnight” is a reminder that their soul is at peace. Housman hints that the narrator’s loved one is simply sleeping soundly, and heaven endures another day with them there.
10. “No Coward Soul Is Mine” by Emily Bronte
This Bronte sister used her faith to find peace after a loss. Though she feels pain at losing someone special, she believes that they are at peace with God. She writes, “There is not room for Death...Since thou art Being and Breath, And what thou art may never be destroyed.”
11. “Feelings” by Sandra Woolridge
We still see signs of those we love in nature and the world around us. The New Year is the perfect reminder of how nature continues to shine its light, even when the days feel like they’re at their darkest.
12. “Remember Me” by Anonymous
There are so many ways to honor and remember your child. Most importantly, use this time to remember their happiness, closeness, and joy. This is something that never fades, no matter how many New Years pass.
‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for a Partner or Spouse
Losing a partner or spouse is like losing a part of yourself. Though the year might come to an end, your grief and feelings are still very much real. Remember your partner with these ‘Happy Near Year in Heaven’ poems.
13. "New Year’s Morning" by Helen Hunt Jackson
In this poem, New Year isn’t just a once-a-year occurrence. It’s a daily invitation to live life to the fullest. With each morning, we have the chance to restart and try something new. This inspirational prose is perfect for finding peace after losing a spouse.
14. “Music, When Soft Voices Die” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Shelley is a master of all things romance and drama, and this poem is no exception. Through music, he argues, we feel the vibrations of those we love. The same is true of nature and new beginnings. Though we are separated from the ones we love, “love itself shall slumber on.”
15. “Idyll” by Siegried Sassoon
Sassoon believes that those we love are only taken from us temporarily. While we spend our time on earth, they wait for us somewhere beyond. Until that “calm song is done,” let there be nothing but peace and joy in the world for this new year.
16. “Only a Little While” by Yakamochi
No matter how long you were able to cherish life with your partner, it would never be enough time. Still, your love lives “a thousand years.” Any feelings of love and togetherness are worth celebrating, not just on New Year’s, but always.
‘Happy New Year in Heaven’ Poems for Friends
Here are poems that wish friends in Heaven a ‘Happy New Year.’ Whether you’re looking for what to share on Facebook after a death or a way to feel closer to your friend’s memory, these poems are for you.
17. "The Darker the Night" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
For someone who believes in Heaven and their faith, the darker the night means the closer they are to God. Just as the stars seem to shine their brightest on dark nights, grief means they loved their friend dearly.
18. “God Called Your Name so Softly” by Anonymous
Though it’s hard to consider how our lives on earth might be cut short, everyone has a purpose while they’re here. Even if the angels called to your friend so softly that “only [they] could hear,” it’s important to remember this New Year that they found peace.
19. “After a While” by Veronica Shoffstall
There is so much to learn from each goodbye, and the New Year is a time for reflecting on those you’ve loved and lost. “After a while,” the poem reads, “You learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong.”
20. "New Beginnings" by Lang Leav
Each year, we’re given a chance to start again and learn something new. In this poem, each new beginning starts with a loss, but this isn’t a reason to just be sad. It’s a call to remember, to change, and to grow.
Practice Remembrance This New Year
The New Year is a chance to start again, learn something new, and honor those you love. If you have lost loved ones this year, take this time to reflect on their memory and legacy. From learning how to say “happy new year” to a grieving loved one to feeling closer to someone you lost, these poems help you express yourself when words fail.
The power of love conquers all, and there’s beauty and healing in the fresh start of a new year. There’s much to reflect on during a New Year celebration. Most importantly, it’s a chance to remember what matters the most to you.