# Poem for a late and lamented friend

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poem-for-a-late-and-lamented-friend/1021416>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 28, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poem-for-a-late-and-lamented-friend/1021416 "2025-07-28T02:09:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poem-for-a-late-and-lamented-friend/1021416/1 "2025-07-28T02:09:53Z")

</div>

We dashed his ashes at the lake house, beside the cool deep waters that he loved so much. A Lighting Designer of rare talent, a gentle fun loving kind soul. Much missed. A few days after he died, this came to me. Along with many other poems read aloud at the gathering today, I read this.

Have you written prose to be read at a funeral or memorial? Care to share it here with us?

—————————————————————  
A Silenced Stage.

The Play’s the thing  
Wherein we’ll catch the conscience of the king  
As our Bard proclaimed one clotted spring  
When scabbards clang and glittered rings  
Leapt out into the darkened house.

Desire’s a cup that overflows  
As every theatergoer knows with  
Earnest hopeful yearning born for  
Lusty laud it’s not of scorn.

The haggard players take their place with pancake clinging to their face  
Rewritten scenes so fresh a-mind that inner visions are struck blind  
The flys be filled with scrims so stilled before they dress the heart and mind  
A glorious billow descends in kind akin to landscapes one would find  
Outside the door, beyond the stage, beyond the nexus of the age

We dreamers come to make this thing from up the rafters and the wings  
With sets and props and playful things each drop of humor we would wring  
From written word and fine intent we work this theater; pay the rent.  
With art and craft and lofty goals we fire the limelight’s, stir the coals.

The ghost light stands- silent defence  
Of moments borne of circumstance and drama, laughter and offense  
Meant only to enhance by cruelest phrase or lustful glance  
A thousand thousand thousand hands worn out by clapping at

the end  
The stage goes dark; the blacks descend  
And in the wings, we’ve lost our friend.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poem-for-a-late-and-lamented-friend/1021416/2 "2025-07-28T06:19:24Z")

</div>

Bravo.

Sorry about your friend.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poem-for-a-late-and-lamented-friend/1021416/3 "2025-07-28T15:04:20Z")

</div>

I am not a wordsmith skilled enough for poetry so at funerals, if called upon, I use [“Gone from my Sight”](https://www.evagrayzel.com/wp-content/uploads/Gone-From-My-Sight2.pdf) by Henry Van Dyke with attribution.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poem-for-a-late-and-lamented-friend/1021416/4 "2025-07-30T23:01:34Z")

</div>

> I am not a wordsmith skilled enough for poetry so at funerals, if called upon, I use [“Gone from my Sight”](https://www.evagrayzel.com/wp-content/uploads/Gone-From-My-Sight2.pdf) by Henry Van Dyke with attribution.

Oh my that is beautiful.