A new poem has been written that is suitable for the eulogy of someone who took their own life. It is always difficult to know what to say in such circumstances, so I hope this will help through those difficult times.

No one knew the torment,
that you were going through;
We only kept on seeing
What we really wanted to.

We saw the outward smile,
but not your inner pain;
We never really dreamt,
That you would never smile again.

Forgive us if we failed to see,
What we could do to aid;
Or if we failed to comprehend,
How much you were afraid.

We pray your mental anguish,
Will now forever cease;
And that your deep anxieties,
Will be replaced by peace.

We know your pain invaded,
Every single thought you had;
It made you cry internally,
And deeply, deeply sad.

But we in turn remember,
The good times, not the bad;
We remember when you smiled at us,
And not when you were sad.

So when we think about your life,
We won't dwell upon its close;
We'll remember all the good times,
And forget about life's blows.

We'll remember all the happiness,
The joy and not the tears;
The assurance and the confidence,
And not irrational fears.

Our lives have all been better,
Because you have been there;
So now we leave your memory,
In God's all-loving care.

(c) 2008 Dick Underwood

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Remembrance Book remembrance-book.com

Thank you so much for this.

God Bless You.

Thank you for this poem. I will share it this morning at a memorial service for my dear friend Scott, who took his life last week on his 56th birthday. This is a time when words don't quite meet the challenge, but yours are well-crafted to sum up many of the torturous emotions.
Thank you.

I found the poem on this site very helpful and modified and shortened it slightly. Others may find this useful if faced with preparing a eulogy for a person that took their own life

Dear Brian -

No one seemed to notice
What you were going through;
We all just kept on seeing
The man we wanted to.

If we did not see
The pain that you were in
Or ask, or offer help
Forgive us for that sin.

Now we know your worries
Crease your brow no more
And your spirit rests in peace
Upon that distant shore.

And we in turn remember
The good times, not the bad:
We remember when you laughed with us,
Not when you were sad.

And laugh - we laughed often
For good times there were plenty
With jokes and songs and beer and wine
And a glass that was never empty

Like all the best friendships
Most valued when you win them,
Our lives have been the richer
Because you have been in them.

Good-bye, Brian, God Bless and Godspeed.

Its never easy to accept such a death however this poem is somehow very compforting.
A heartfelt thankyou

My son died by suicide in December. This poem sooo fits the way I felt and it comforted me. It helped me to understand that we don't always know how a person is feeling and how they just wanted to stop hurting.
Thank you