14 Funeral Poems for a Loved One With a Disability | Cake Blog (2024)

Professional poets don’t have a lot to say about the death of a person with a disability. However, we will provide you with a few poems we have found online written by amateur poets who went through this experience.

Jump ahead to these sections:

• Uplifting Funeral Poems for a Loved One With a Disability
• Sad Funeral Poems for a Loved One With a Disability
• Funeral Poems for a Child With a Disability

People use different philosophies when selecting a funeral poem for their loved one’s services. So, instead of trying to find a poem about the death of a person with a disability, you might consider finding a poem about one of their interests. For example, if your loved one was an avid birder, find a poem about the beauty of birds.

Of course, there are also a lot of poems about the pain associated with grief and loss or other uplifting poems that speak of the afterlife.

Here are a few funeral poems that you might want to consider.

Uplifting Funeral Poems for a Loved One With a Disability

Uplifting funeral poems may celebrate a life well-lived. They also might have a religious theme and speak about the promise of the afterlife.

Of course, some of the poems on our list speak specifically about the disabled community.

Here are some uplifting funeral poems.

1. “I’m Free” by Unknown

This poem is commonly used at funeral services for every type of person. The speaker in this poem is the deceased.

It includes the following stanzas:

“If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full. I savored much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch,

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now. He set me free.”

2. Irish Blessing by Unknown

This beautiful blessing is a popular choice at funerals. You probably have heard it used on movies and TV shows as well.

“May the roads rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

3. “Miss Me – But Let Me Go” by Edgar Albert Guest

Another popular choice of poems to print in funeral folders, “Miss Me – But Let Me Go,” might be a good choice for your loved one’s funeral. This poem encourages mourners to use their grief to do good deeds.

The entirety of the poem reads:

“When I come to the end of the road, and the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room; why cry for a soul set free!

Miss me a little – but not for long, and not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared; miss me, but let me go.

For this journey that we all must take and each must go alone;
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan; a step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick at heart, go to the friends we know,
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds. Miss me, but let me go.”

4. “If You Could See Me Now” by Patsy Stambaugh Deskins

This Christian-themed poem describes Heaven in all of its glory. The speaker of the poem is the deceased who describes the sights of Heaven, including:

“I’ve beheld our Father’s face. I’ve touched my Savior’s hand.
The angels all rejoiced as I entered the Promised Land.”
5. “We Are Fighters” by Amelia Blackwater

The poet dedicated this piece to “My Invisible Warriors.” Although it is not a “funeral poem,” it might be used for such an event.

“We are fighters
our illness does not define us
it gives us strength
that others do not have
beauty that shines
through darkness
because we are capable of
moving mountains with
our hearts.”

6. “World Disabled Day” by Vizard Dhawan

This poem reminds readers about the plight of the physically and mentally disabled. It ends with the following stanza:

“Thus, on this World Disabled Day,
Let us take this oath within ourselves,
Never to ignore one of them
Let our love on them showed
As they too are made by the same God.”

7. “There Is a Person Behind the Disability” by Sarah Jackson Bennett

We can learn a lot by reading poems written by someone with physical challenges. This poem includes the lines:

“Differently able sounds better to me. The person has less ability, not no ability.”

Sad Funeral Poems for a Loved One With a Disability

Perhaps you would rather select a poem that describes the sadness you feel following the death of your loved one. Instead of finding a poem that looks on the bright side, you might want to share your heartache with others.

8. “My Own Special Angel” by Norma Henneke

In this poem, a mother reflects on the sometimes difficult life of her daughter, Misty. She talks about her frustration when hearing other children make fun of her daughter.

The poem ends this way:

“Yes, sometimes it hurts, and I don’t understand
How God could have done this as part of his plan.
Yet each time I hold you, or we kiss goodnight,
I know in my heart he did everything right!”

9. “For Grief” by John O’Donohue

Perhaps you don’t want an uplifting funeral poem. Instead, maybe you would like to share with others the grief you feel from losing the person you loved. This poem presumably describes the poet’s experience with grief and loss. It begins:

“When you lose someone you love,
Your life becomes strange,
The ground beneath you becomes fragile,
Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;
And some dead echo drags your voice down
Where words have no confidence
Your heart has grown heavy with loss;
And though this loss has wounded others too,
No one knows what has been taken from you
When the silence of absence deepens.”

Funeral Poems for a Child With a Disability

I’m not going to pretend to know what it is like to parent a child with a disability. However, here are some poems written by someone with that experience.

10. “Look for Me in the Rainbows” by Vicki Brown

We love the hopeful tone of this poem. It includes this stanza:

“Time for me to leave you, I won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I’ll be close to you.”

11. “So Go and Run Free” by Unknown

This poem would be a particularly poignant choice for a child who had a disability that limited their movement. It begins:

“So go and run free with the angels
Dance around the golden clouds
For the Lord has chosen you to be with him
And we should feel nothing but proud.”

12. “Lillian” by John Langdon Down

This heartbreaking poem describes the death of the poet’s child. It ends in this manner:

“And ever when cast down apart
In agony I weep
There thrills within my stricken heart
A thought that ne-er shall sleep
That cradled in an angel’s arm
From every sorrow free
A little bright winged seraph child
Waits lovingly for me.”

13. “Heaven’s Very Special Child” by Edna Massimilla

This poem describes a discussion in Heaven about where to send a special child. It includes these lines:

“His progress may be very slow,
Accomplishments he may not show.
And he’ll require extra care
From the folks he meets down there.”

The poem concludes with this stanza:

“And soon they’ll know the privilege given
In caring for their gift from Heaven
Their precious charge, so meek and mild,
Is HEAVEN’S VERY SPECIAL CHILD.”

14. “The Misunderstood Child” by Kathy Winters

Please understand that this poem is not necessarily one written for a funeral. However, it describes a child who is on the autism spectrum.

This poem might be helpful when planning a funeral. However, it is on this list because of its theme.

The poem begins:

“I am the child that looks healthy and fine.
I was born with ten fingers and toes.
But something is different, somewhere in my mind.
And what it is, nobody knows.

I am a child that struggles in school
Though they say that I’m perfectly smart.
They tell me I’m lazy—can learn if I try—
But I don’t seem to know where to start.”

Find a Poem That Speaks to You

When planning your loved one’s funeral, don’t feel pressured into choosing a typical funeral poem. While the funeral home probably has a file of 15 often-used selections, you can use one that specifically speaks to your situation.

Whether you select a poem about the deceased’s disability or a piece that celebrates their unique attributes and talents should be up to you. Find a poem that speaks to you.