Readings

Original poems

Your Name in the Family

Your name does not leave us.
It stays in the family,
in the stories we tell carefully,
in the places we expected you,
in the love that has nowhere
simple to go.

We say your name
because you were here,
because you are loved,
and because remembering
is one way we keep making room.

No Measure

There is no measure
for a life by years alone.
Love did not wait
for a certain age
to become real.

You were loved
in the time we had,
and you are missed
in all the time
we thought would follow.

Collection lens

What this poem collection is trying to hold

This collection centers love that is not measured by years, family place, name and the future imagined around the child. That focus is deliberate: relationship-specific verse should do more than replace “mother” with “father” or “dog” with “cat.” The imagery, emotional distance and details should change with the relationship itself.

Best suited to

a parent-led service, remembrance day or private family ritual.

Watch for

Explaining the death, finding a lesson or promising replacement through future children.

Personalization test

Before using a poem publicly, identify one image or line that matches the person you are remembering. If none of the imagery fits, choose another poem rather than forcing the relationship label to do all the work.

Use it well

Prepare this collection for its actual setting

  • Read it aloud before choosing it; spoken rhythm matters at a service.
  • For private use, adapt a line with a name, place, habit, or detail that belongs to the person.
  • If a venue, celebrant, publication, or livestream needs text in advance, send the final version early.
  • Do not attach a famous author’s name to an anonymous or rewritten poem.