Poems for him
Memories of Grandad ~ Author Unknown
It’s been the hardest thing to lose you,
You meant so much to me.
But you are in my heart grandad,
And that’s where you’ll always be.
I know that Heaven called you,
But I wish you could have stayed,
At least the memories I have of you,
They will never fade.
I did not want to lose you,
But you did not go alone,
Because a part of me went with you,
When Heaven called you home.
So just remember one thing,
We are not apart,
You’re with me in my memories,
And in my broken heart.
He is Gone ~ David Hawkins
You can shed tears that he is 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 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 her 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.
His Journey's Just Begun ~ Ellen Brenneman
Don’t think of him as gone away his journey’s just begun,
Life holds so many facets this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting from the sorrows and the tears,
In a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days and 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..
My Father's Garden ~ Author Unknown
My Father kept a garden.
A garden of the heart;
He planted all the good things,
That gave my life it's start.
He turned me to the sunshine,
And encouraged me to dream:
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self-esteem.
And when the winds and rains came,
He protected me enough;
But not too much, he knew I'd need
To stand up strong and tough.
His constant good example,
Always taught me right from wrong;
Markers for my pathway
To last my whole life long.
I am my Father's garden,
I am his legacy.
And I hope today he feels the love,
Reflected back from me.
The Fisherman's Prayer
Our fisherman
Who art on riverbanks
Angler be thy name
Thy fishing season comes
Thy casting will be done
The weather will be heavenly.
Give us this day lots of bites
And forgive us our laughter
As we forgive you, your
Lies about the one that got away.
Lead us to a shoal of fish
And deliver us a big catch
For thine is the carp
The Pike and the Trout
Forever and ever,
Amen.
He Only Takes the Best ~ Author Unknown
God saw that he was getting tired,
A cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around him
and whispered, “Come with Me.”
With tearful eyes, we watched him suffer,
And saw him fade away.
Although we loved him dearly,
We could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes “the best.”
Life Lessons ~ Joanne Fuchs
You may have thought I didn’t see,
Or that I hadn’t heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word.
Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we’d grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It’s written on my heart.
Without you, Dad, I wouldn’t be
The person I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.
I’ve grown up with your values,
And I’m very glad I did;
So here’s to you, dear father,
From your forever grateful kid.
If ~ Rudyard Kipling
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!
That Man is a Success ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
That man is a success who has lived well,
Laughed often, and loved much;
Who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who leaves the world better than he found it,
Whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or rescued soul;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty
Or failed to express it;
Who looked for the best in others, and gave the best he had.”
A Poem for Dad ~ J. Allen Shaw
Dad, I am often told I am just like you.
I am honored beyond measure if that is true.
You were the best example of what a man should be.
I am overwhelmed that someone would say that of me.
I never told you enough, how proud I am to be called your son,
Now that you are gone, I want to tell everyone.
You gave me much more than a name,
Someday, I hope my son says the same.
Away ~ James Whitcomb Riley
If I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead, he is just away!
With a cheery smile, and a wave of hand
He has wandered into an unknown land,
And left us dreaming how very fair
Its needs must be, since he lingers there.
And you- oh you, who the wildest yearn
From the old-time step and the glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of there, as the love of Here.
Think of him still the same way, I say,
He is not dead - he is just away.
Our Loving Father ~ Author Unknown
God took the strength of a mountain and the majesty of a tree.
The warmth of a summer sun, the calm of a quiet sea.
The generous soul of nature and the comforting arm of night.
The wisdom of the ages and the power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring and the faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity and the depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ~ Dad!
A Soul Unchained
A soul unchained, a spirit free,
He walked his path, just as he'd be,
No mold to fit, no rules to bind,
A heart that danced, a restless mind.
He carved his way through life's terrain,
With laughter loud, and honest pain,
No need for whispers, no need to hide,
His truth unfurled, his spirit wide.
The world may judge, the whispers rise,
But in his eyes, a steady light lies,
He knew his worth, his purpose clear,
No regrets to hold, no doubts to fear.
Through storms he weathered, stood so tall,
His own compass guiding through it all,
A life well lived, a story told,
A man who walked, his own path to hold.
The Beer Prayer
Our lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hollowed be thy drink.
I will be drunk,
At home as in the travern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those who spill against us.
And lead us not into incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers.
For thine is the beer, the bitter and the lager
Forever and ever,
Barmen.
Gone Fishing ~ Dalmar Pepper
I’ve finished life’s chores assigned to me,
So put me on a boat headed out to sea.
Please send along my fishing pole
For I’ve been invited to the fishin’ hole.
Where every day is a day to fish,
To fill your heart with every wish.
Don’t worry, or feel sad for me,
I’m fishin’ with the Master of the sea.
We will miss each other for awhile,
But you will come and bring your smile.
That won’t be long you will see,
Till we’re together you and me.
To all of those that think of me,
Be happy as I go out to sea.
If others wonder why I’m missin’
Just tell ’em I’ve gone fishin’