I Am Standing Upon The Seashore by Bishop Charles Henry Brent

I Am Standing Upon The Seashore

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, ‘There, she is gone’

Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me — not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, ‘There, she is gone,’
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, ‘Here she comes!’

And that is dying…

OverView

This piece uses the metaphor of a ship sailing over the horizon to explain death. While those left behind see the ship disappear (‘gone’), others on the farther shore are welcoming its arrival (‘here she comes!’). It reframes death as a transition of perspective, not an annihilation.

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More Funeral Funeral Poems

Farewell My Friends by Rabindranath Tagore

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Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson

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Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson

Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.

The Dash by Linda Ellis

View POEM

The Dash by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye

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Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Let Me Go (Miss Me But Let Me Go) by Christina Rossetti

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Let Me Go (Miss Me But Let Me Go) by Christina Rossetti

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 is a journey that we must all take
And each must go alone.
It’s all 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.

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If someone has died, Our Family is here to help you.

Find your nearest office below or request a call back.

orpington

bromley

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biggin-hill

petts-wood

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Jojo K.

I am very grateful to your company for providing the best service for my husband's funeral.

Lesley S.

Excellent from start to finish. Couldn’t have done anymore than what they did for our family. I work in the bereavement sector and Udens are a funeral directors you can trust.

Angela S.

From the beginning of our sad journey Uden’s treated us with respect from the lovely Spencer talking us through the process to even with one of sisters on FaceTime and organising the wonderful Nicola to take the service , Jason and Nick being on the end of the phone to answer any questions to the lovely (and very tall) Lee helping us on the day of our mother’s funeral to give mum the very best we could . I can’t recommend them highly enough or thank them enough.

Liam E.

I find this hard to write as it was such a sad occasion but W Uden and sons went out of their way to make this as seamless and professional as possible. All costs were explained, we could visit when we wanted and mum was treated with the greatest of respect. The whole process was extremely transparent and the staff were amazing. Spencer took us through everything and Lee was excellent on the day. I cannot fault any part of their service and would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone.

Jessica P.

The Quinnell family would like to thank Udens and Sarah, at Eltham, for the excellent and professional service you gave us for our dear Brother Mark who passed on 31st March. The Celebrant Sarah did the most wonderful service and everyone said what a lovely send off for Mark. Thank you Udens for making it a memorable day on 22nd May 2026.

cheryl W.

The care , compassion and professionalism from these guys was outstanding, nothing was to much trouble . When our dad Arthur Walker was collected from home he was covered in a velvet throw much better than seeing a body bag , so classy! The chapel of rest was beautiful too , not like others I’ve seen . So from start to finish an excellent service , our dad’s little French bulldog lead him out on the day which was beautiful. The guys and cars were immaculate. Highly recommend these guys , our first time using W.Uden & Sons

David E.

Faultless service from the Uden's team at Sidcup. They could not have been more supportive and helpful to me and my family. On the day, the cars were spotlessly clean and the friendly team were immaculately dressed. I cannot recommend Uden's enough.

Jean B.

As a family we have had the privilege of using Uden’s Camberwell before over the last few years. Each time they have made the process so easy. From the time that we made the initial call to the day of the funeral they were in constant contact. Nothing was too small. Everyone we spoke to was very professional and extremely supportive. I cannot thank them enough.

Kim P.

Uden's recently oversaw my dad's funeral and I cannot praise them highly enough. From the very first contact with Spencer through to the actual day when Stanley looked after us, the standard of professionalism and respect shown was second to none. I felt in totally safe hands as such a vulnerable time, nothing was too much trouble for any of the team. I cannot thank them enough for the respect shown to my dad and the support we received, fantastic family run service and can't recommend highly enough.

James P.

The funeral service was excellent. The team were great and made sure everything ran smoothly. Ruth the celebrant was brilliant and it was a lovely send off. I can’t fault you guys. From the moment you picked dad up and looked after him for us to the final drop off at the wake it’s been as good as we could have hoped for.I’d have no hesitation in recommending you guys.Thank you.

Mark B.

W. Uden & Sons (Eltham) handled the arrangements for my late cousin’s funeral. Every step was smoothly and tactfully handled - from the initial enquiry and then the more detailed discussions, with Sarah making the whole process very straightforward, to the day of the funeral itself when Callum and the team could not have been more considerate and helpful. My thanks to everyone involved for their efforts in lessening the burden at a difficult time.

Julia

Can't recommend the Uden team in Bexleyheath enough - both Adam organising everything in the run up to the funeral and Stanley and his team supporting on the day of. They're very understanding of how difficult a time it is and they are so courteous! We kind of lost track of time between the church service and the burial but there was no hectic/boredom visible from the team who remained 100% present the entire time (no scrolling on phones or anything). Great service with the hearse and limousine and they also let us participate by pushing the coffin into the church. They think of everything - we had an easel with a photo which they kindly also set up and took down again. Thank you very much!

Amanda W.

This is the 4th time my family have used W. Uden & Sons to look after our loved ones in recent years. The funeral for my uncle was in May 2026 which was a burial at Sidcup cemetery. Spencer guided me through the process and dealt with everything. I just had to say what I wanted. On the day Stanley in his hat and cane and the pall bearers were professional and respectful during this difficult time for us. I highly recommend W.Uden & Sons.

SW E.

In 2017 Uden & Sons helped me to plan and fulfill the final arrangements for my spouse. Things were just as she had wanted them to be done. They handled every detail. From the gathering of her remains to the arrangement of private viewings and her cremation.I thank their entire staff for the excellent job that they did then. Their professionalism, attention to detail and exceptional kindness make them easy to recommend. They're honest, straightforward and provided all the assistance one could ask for.Uden & Son's made a dark time less difficult. I am deeply thankfull for the service rendered to me and my spouse. Thank you.

Graham D.

My father was insistent that we use W. Uden & Sons (Biggin Hill) for my mother’s funeral, and after the service we received I completely understand why. Everything was handled with great care, compassion, and professionalism from beginning to end. During such a difficult time, they made everything much easier to manage and guided us through every step with kindness and understanding. Nothing was too much trouble.Their attention to detail and support meant a great deal to us and was a huge help throughout the day. We are truly grateful for everything they did to give our mother the farewell she deserved.I could not recommend W. Uden & Sons highly enough to anyone looking for caring and professional funeral directors.