As a celebrant in Birmingham, I meet many families in many different circumstances. Sometimes a family is grief-stricken and needs a lot of guidance. Other times, their loved one’s passing may be a relief. Occasionally, I walk into a family at war... and others, there may be no family to deal with at all.

But regardless of the circumstances, I always endeavour to produce something personal, and meaningful, with light and shade to the service, that give people plenty to listen to and think about.  I really enjoy my role as a celebrant in Birmingham, and the more people I meet, the more information and resources I gather... and so it’s my pleasure to share some of the poetry I’ve found along the way.

These are all suitable for a mother’s funeral and there’s something to cover the different kinds of relationships that you may have had with her. I hope perhaps one or two of these may be useful.

For A Mum That Was Dearly Loved:

We Had a Lovely Mother (Anon)
We had a wonderful mother,
One who never really grew old;
Her smile was made of sunshine,
And her heart was solid gold;
Her eyes were as bright as shining stars,
And in her cheeks fair roses you see.
We had a wonderful mother,
And that’s the way it will always be.
But take heed, because
She’s still keeping an eye on all of us,
So let’s make sure
She will like what she sees.

***

For A Mum That Was Under-Appreciated:

A Poem for Mother (Anon)

Mother, you were just a girl,
So many years ago.
You had your loves and had your dreams,
You watched us come and go.

You watched us make the same mistakes,
That you had made before,
But that just made you hold us tight,
And love us all the more.

We haven’t always thought about
The things that you have seen.
To us you’ve just been ‘Mother’,
No thought of who you’ve been.

But we remember now in love,
Your life from start to end,
And we’re just glad we knew you,
As Mother, and as Friend.

**
Poems To Convey Thanks To A Mum For What She Did:

You Were There (Anon)

You were there when we took our first steps,
And went unsteadily across the floor.
You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,
Until our steps took us out the door...
You worry now “Are they ok?”
Is there more you could have done?
As we walk the paths of our unknown
You wonder “Where have my children gone?”
Where we are is where you have led us,
With your special love you showed us a way,
To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make.
Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.
And where we go you can be sure,
In spirit you shall never be alone.
For where you are is what matters most to us,
Because to us that will always be home...

Farewell Dear Mother (Anon)

Somewhere in my heart beneath all my grief and pain,
Is a smile I still wear, at the sound of your dear name.
The precious word is ‘MOTHER’, she was my world you see,
But now my heart is breaking cause she’s no longer here with me.

God chose her for His angel to watch me from above,
To guide me and advise me and know that I’m still loved.
The day she had to leave me when her life on earth was through,
God had better plans for her, for this, I surely knew.

When I think of her kind heart and all those loving years,
My memories surround me and I can’t hold back the tears.
She truly was my best friend, someone I could confide in,
She always had a tender touch and a warm and gentle grin.

I want to thank you Mother for teaching me so well,
And though the time has come that I must bid you this farewell.
I’ll remember all you’ve taught me and make you proud you’ll see.

Thank you my Dear Mother for all the love you showed me.
Although you’ve left this earth and now you’ve taken flight,
I know that you are here with me each morning, noon and night.

What is a Mom? (Anon)

A mom is one of life's best gifts,
Someone to treasure all life through,
She's caring and loving,
Thoughtful and true,
Someone who is always a special part of your life,
Someone who holds a prime place in your heart,
She's a mentor, a confident and also a friend,
Someone on whose love you can depend.
A mom always has your best interests at heart,
She's someone so dear and so good,
She's a blessing, she's a gift,
She's a treasure like no other,
She's someone that is truly wonderful.
Wherever you go, and whatever you do,
A mom’s love will always see you through,
A mom is truly invaluable,
Indispensable and unforgettable.
I wouldn't want anyone but you,
And that's why I'm so grateful,
that life picked you for me.

****

Words For A Belief In An Afterlife:

Her Journey’s Just Begun (Anon)

Don’t think of her as gone away, her journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets, this earth is only one.
Just think of her as resting from the sorrows and the tears
In a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days or years.

Think how she must be wishing that we could know today
How nothing but our sadness, can really pass away.
And think of her as living in the hearts of those she touched
For nothing loved is ever lost and she was loved so much.

***
A Poem For A Mum With Alzheimers (Dick Underwood):

You didn't die just recently,
You died some time ago.
Although your body stayed a while,
And didn't really know.

For you had got Alzheimer’s,
You failed to comprehend.
Your body went on living.
But your mind had reached its end.

So we've already said, "Goodbye",
To the person that we knew.
The person that we truly loved,
The person that was you.

And so we meet again today,
To toast your body’s end.
For it was true and faithful,
Until right at the end.

And so, when we remember,
We'll think of all the rest.
We'll concentrate on earlier,
And remember all the best.

For in the real scheme of things,
Your illness wasn't long.
Compared to all the happiness,
You brought your whole life long.

We think of you as yesterday,
When you were fit and well.
And when we're asked about you,
It's those things that we'll tell.

And so we meet in remembrance,
Of a mind so fit and true.
We're here to pay our last respects
To say that, "We love you".

***

Words For A Religious Mum:

God saw you getting tired, And a cure was not to be, So He put His arms around you And whispered “Come to Me”. With tearful eyes we watched you, and saw you pass away. Although we loved you dearly, We could not make you stay. A Golden Heart stopped beating, Hard working hands to rest, God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best

*****

A Poem That Covers A Difficult Mum/Daughter Relationship:

Mommy Dearest (Anon)

She is my mother,
that indomitable unattainable goal.
A woman of iron and silk and unforgiving praise,
she is the measure of all that I will never be.
She sees me and looks right through me.
She loves me with a barbed wire heart,
chaining me to a relentless yearning of approval.
I will beat my head endlessly against a brick wall
if you simply say you love me;
say you're proud of me;
say I'm good'
All measure of self-worth is wrapped
in the one woman who loves me enough
to tear me apart.

Ruth Graham is a celebrant in Birmingham, West Midlands. She covers the West Midlands area and works for many reputable funeral directors providing traditional and non-traditional funerals.

Ruth is more than happy to work with content that ranges from non-religious, through to spiritual through to religious.

To book Ruth as a celebrant in Birmingham, contact her direct on 07949 696574 or ruthe_graham@hotmail.com. Alternatively, request her services via your chosen funeral director.