I’ve been offline for a few days as I attended the funeral of an Uncle who died rather suddenly. At such as sad time, I was struck by the strength that his three children demonstrated during the funeral. My mother - my Uncle’s younger sister - was asked to do a reading, and she chose a piece that has become rather popular for such times.
All we had available were the words from a previous funeral where a friend of my mother’s had read the piece. We knew very little about the words, who wrote them, or what inspiration was behind the words. On my return to Glasgow, I cranked up the computer this morning and set about finding out. It transpires the words were written by Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918), the Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Something I find remarkable in the words is that they offer consolation and comfort to everybody. Whilst there is clear Christian reference by merit of the author’s faith, I find it reads well to the Humanist in me: Death does not mean that a person is out of thought or mind, and the good they did in the world lasts for a long time after.
My friend Jon Knowles also added a similar comment in his reading for my friend Daniel Gardner who died suddenly three years ago: “Look for Daniel in all that you see about you“. Strong, true and comforting words for times like these.
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 easy 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
pray smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
without the trace of a shadow in 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
somewhere very near
just around the corner
All is well
Henry Scott Holland
(1847-1918)
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January 17th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
My beloved stepdad passed away a week ago. We’ll be reading this poem at the Celebration of Life. He’s never gone. His love for life and my mom will last more than a lifetime.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:01 am
i found this poem on the internet and read it at my fathers funeral a few weeks ago. I wanted people to remember the wonderful, strong person that he was and to remember with a smile. Great poem!
October 29th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I attended the funeral of my grandfather yesterday, and due to the fact it fell on the ninth anniversary of my father’s death i couldn’t help but remember that it was this poem i read at my father’s funeral - what still seems like yesterday! I knew the words and comfort this poem brought me helped me through those heart breaking times. Today was the first time I’d read this since i said goodbye to my father. It truely is a wonderful poem. The sentiment of it still sits true today.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:01 am
My wonderful Mum passed away on October 15th, but for a number of reasons we had to delay the funeral until November 6th. My sister and I discussed how we wanted her life to be celebrated and chose this piece to close the service. What we didn’t realise until just before the funeral was that Mum had sent this very piece to my wife, Helen, shortly after her mother died in January 1992!
After a little bit of research I discovered that the version printed above is not the full version (which we used at Mum’s funeral), and it is not a poem, but an extract from a 30-minute sermon delivered by Revd. Henry Scott Holland in St. Paul’s Cathedral on the afternoon of Sunday May 15th 1910; the text of the complete sermon can be found at:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/King_of_Terrors