An aunt may not be a mother but often acts like it. Losing her leaves a gap that’s awful and finding the right words for her funeral can feel impossible.
That’s where a poem can help. A good funeral poem says the thing you are struggling with often does so more beautifully than you could. It doesn’t matter if it’s for reading at the service, writing a eulogy for your aunt, looking for verses to print in the program etc. the poems below are here to make that part a little easier.
I’ve split them into sections so you can find what fits best for you — longer readings, short verses, ones for an aunt who was almost your second mom and some religious ones too.
Funeral Poems for an Aunt
These are longer poems that work well read aloud at a service or memorial.
For a Beloved Aunt
You were not quite a mother,
And yet you mothered too,
With every cup of tea you poured,
With every kindness, true.
You kept our family’s stories,
The ones we’d half forget,
And held us close on harder days
We haven’t outgrown yet.
So though we say goodbye today,
Your love does not depart.
It lives in all the little ways
You’re written on our hearts.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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The Aunt We Loved
She had a way of making time
For everyone she knew,
A door that always opened wide,
A welcome warm and true.
She was the keeper of our names,
The birthdays and the dates,
The one who showed up early
And who never showed up late.
We won’t forget her laughter,
Or the comfort of her voice,
The way she made the smallest day
Feel like a reason to rejoice.
And though she’s gone ahead of us
To somewhere we can’t see,
She left us all the better
For the love she gave so free.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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Remember Me
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
By Christina Rossetti
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Short Funeral Poems for an Aunt
Sometimes you just need something short enough to print on a memorial card, read at the graveside, or include in the order of service. These shorter verses still have a lot of feeling even if they are quick and simple. You’ll find more like these on our page of short funeral verses for cards.
Until We Meet
Goodbye is not forever,
It’s only for a while.
We’ll keep you in our memories,
And greet you with a smile.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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A Quiet Goodbye
No longer here, but never gone,
Her love still leads us, carries on.
In every kindness we pass round,
Our dear aunt’s spirit can be found.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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She Is Free
Do not weep too long for me,
I am at peace, I am free.
Think of me and you will find
I never truly left behind.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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Carry Me Lightly
Carry me lightly in your heart,
Not as a weight of sorrow,
But as the warmth of yesterday
That brightens your tomorrow.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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Funeral Poems for an Aunt Who Was Like a Mother
If the bond you shared with your aunt was deeper than usual then these poems are more suited for a mother figure. You might also find comfort in our collection of funeral poems for mom which are similar in their tone.
More Than an Aunt
You were more than just an aunt to me,
You were a second home,
A steady hand, a softer voice,
A place I’m never alone.
You taught me things my heart still holds,
You loved me through it all,
And caught me, every single time,
I thought that I might fall.
I’ll miss you more than words can say,
But this much I hold true,
Whatever good I give the world
Began with loving you.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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The Hands That Held Me
The hands that held me as a child,
That wiped away each tear,
That cooked and cleaned and cared for me
Through every passing year,
Are folded now and finally still,
Their work on earth complete.
But all they gave still lives in me,
And makes my own life sweet.
So rest now, dear and gentle one,
You’ve earned your peaceful sleep.
The love you planted grew so deep,
It’s ours forever to keep.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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Religious Funeral Poems for an Aunt
If your aunt was a woman of faith a passage of scripture or a religious verse can be a fitting tribute. For more see our posts on funeral prayers and funeral readings.
Psalm 23 (King James Version)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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Safe in God’s Keeping
She walked her days in quiet faith,
And trusted God to guide her,
And now she rests where angels sing,
With all the saints beside her.
We do not say a last goodbye,
For love like hers won’t sever.
We say instead, “until we meet,”
In God’s own home, forever.
By Sympathy Message Ideas
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Well Known Poems That Suit an Aunt’s Service
A few famous poems come up again and again at funerals. They’re beautiful and they fit almost any relative. I haven’t reproduced these here because they’re still under copyright but they’re easy to find and any of them would work well read in memory of an aunt:
- “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye, a comforting poem about the wind, the snow and the morning hush. A real funeral favorite.
- “She Is Gone” (sometimes called “He Is Gone”) by David Harkins, which helps you to smile because she lived rather than cry because she’s gone.
- “Death Is Nothing at All” by Henry Scott Holland, a reassuring poem about slipping into the next room.
- “The Dash” by Linda Ellis, about the little line between the dates on a headstone and what we do with it.
Any of these can be searched for online or found in funeral reading collections. If you’d like more options our main funeral poems page has a much bigger selection.
How to Choose the Right Poem for Your Aunt
There’s no wrong choice but a few things can help you narrow it down if you’re having a hard time.
Think about who she was. Was she funny and full of life or more quiet and gentle? A poem that matches her personality will always work better than one that sounds lovely but also doesn’t sound like her.
Think about where it’s going. A long poem will sound beautifully read aloud at a service but a short verse works better printed on a memorial card or inscribed o a keepsake.
Read it out loud before you decide. Some poems look perfect on the page and then become impossible to get through when you try to say them. If you’re going to be the one reading at the service practice it a few times first so you know you can get it out without any issues.
And trust your gut. If a poem bought you to tears the first time you read it that’s a good sign.
Reading a Poem at Your Aunt’s Funeral
If you’ve been asked to read a poem it’s very normal to be nervous about it. A few things can make it easier.
Print the poem in a large font on a single sheet. Don’t try to read it from your phone.
Pause before you start and take one slow breath. If you feel tears coming it’s fine to stop for a moment – nobody is going to mind. Looking up at the family once or twice helps too even if you mostly keep your eyes on the page.
You don’t have to read it perfectly. You just have to read it with love and that part should come naturally when it’s for someone like her.
Final Thoughts
Whatever poem you choose the fact that you’re searching for the right words says everything about what your aunt meant to you.
If you’re also writing condolence notes or looking for ways to comfort the rest of the family our pages on sympathy messages for the loss of an aunt and poems about grief might help with that next step.
