# thoughtful poems or words needed

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughtful-poems-or-words-needed/240420>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 16, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughtful-poems-or-words-needed/240420 "2004-04-16T20:28:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sat\_on\_Cookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sat\_on\_Cookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sat_on_Cookie)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughtful-poems-or-words-needed/240420/1 "2004-04-16T20:28:54Z")

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For a recent death – not close to me but close to a dear friend of mine (her mother-in-law). I don’t know what to do to make her feel better and was hoping I could forward something nice.

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughtful-poems-or-words-needed/240420/2 "2004-04-16T21:15:25Z")

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I asked the Dopers for help in this department once. I’m ashamed to admit that I forget who posted it, but someone wrote a beautiful haiku for me. Maybe that talented guy will create another beauty.

Also, there are sites on the web that can help, if you haven’t already tried that.

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughtful-poems-or-words-needed/240420/3 "2004-04-16T21:37:47Z")

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The best words are your own. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or even poetry:

I’m very sorry for your loss.  
Please accept my sincere condolences.  
I will be glad to help if there is anything I can do. (Name specific things: take care of the children, walk the dog, housesit if she must travel to a funeral, run errands . . . .)

My instinct is that poetry just doesn’t work at a time like this. YMMV.