No Crying at the Funeral

This poem is about the philosophy of being happy rather than sad when a loved one passes away. Wrote this before my mother died.

No Crying at the Funeral

---

I told you my mother was

Dying

And you fed me bread and wine like

A good friend, like Jesus did

I drank the wine

With some stolen benzos

And washed it away with our

Laughter

To ease my mind

But I ended up holding you in my arms

At 4 AM, not the other way around

Ironically, I did so

In the old backyard where we played as

Kids, laughing and running

Making up imaginary worlds

Where everything was right

And nothing was ever wrong

Nothing hurt in that place

You had a swimming pool there

As did I, at my mother's home

Both are gone now

Memories washed away with the

Pool's rippled tide.

I was once again the strong one

Once again

My mother was there

In my eyes

Telling me not to cry

As my mother withers

And crumbles

And eventually dies

I will hold her hand and tell her of

My love, yet I will never

Cry

I will smile and say

It will all be alright

It has to be

Is what she always said

What happens will happen

What can we do?

She'll say

Sadness solves nothing

When she dies

The sad music and religious piano will play

At the church no one knows

Not even God

Himself

May know of it

At her wake, I will smile

As I hear eerie music and smell

The scent of Frankincense

And fresh tears

And flowers

And how much is the casket

And the food

And the bill

And again as I fall asleep

Tonight

As your cold body lay still

And your soul in

The spirit world

In my heart and eyes you shall always live

Eternally

Never forgotten

Your strength is in me

My cousins will weep

My aunts will woe

My uncles will tear

Grandpa will be glad

He has his friend back

Now

My mother will just sleep

And I will know

That all she ever wanted

Was happiness

But happiness for me, not for her

And I will not shed a tear

For that is not what she wants

I beg of you

Today
Let her listen to your laughter

As she falls asleep

Let her feel your

Gladness

That her pain is finally

Gone

I am the strong one

Stronger than most

Except for my mother

The strongest of all

And I will hold my aunts and my cousins

And let them cry and sob

For they don't and never will

Truly understand

My mother's strongest

Will

I beg of you to

Have the same strength

My mother had

That she passed onto me

She loves you all

And wants to hear your

Laughter

And wants to see

Your smile

From Heaven

And if you don't

And if all you have is sadness

And crying

And woes

What does that really accomplish?

Death will come regardless of

Your tears

Of your prayers

Of our goals

It does not take your feelings

Into account

And it never

Will

It never will.

So do not even try.

Just smile

Be glad that you've known her

The strong one

The happy one

The one that frustrated you to no end

With her endless optimism

And happiness

My mother knows

True strength lies in those who can smile

In the face of adversity

And laugh their pain out during the storm

She's grinned her way to Hell and back

And never let it steal

Her smile

Sometimes I noticed her eyes were sad

And glinted with almost

Almost

Shed tears

And I am sure she's cried

A thousand times

A million times

And I should have held her

I should have

But the worst thing you could possibly do

Is cry too

She doesn't want you to cry.

So don't.

I beg you.

 

Reviews

[Mary E. Green]

Oh my... this is heart wrenching and beautiful! I loved it! It sounds a lot like how my mawmaw was & how I am. I lost all 3 grandparents in 2007. It tore me to pieces but I knew I had to be the strong one for my mom and for my cousins and for my son. At times, people think I am being callous because I do not break when someone dies. Eventually I cry, but when I do, it won't be where anyone can see or hear.
Anyway, you did such an amazing job on this. I truly love it and will be adding it to "My Library".

[Eagle Cruagh]

Happy ! I think not. My wife , in heaven, sounds much
like your blessed Mother----- She always praised everyone,
no, not her enemies, for there were none.
But , we are glad, for her misery came an end.
I praise your sad poem for it brings back, for a moment,
a happy person that that I loved.
---- John Crowley
----aka , Eagle Cruagh.

[Kelly A. Brown]

I am so sorry about your wife. I think everyone can speak about their deceased loved ones in the present tense. You still love her, not loved. :) Thanks for the review and sorry again. I hope the poem did not make you more sad.

[Eagle Cruagh]

Your poem was so incredibly tragic that reading it would
have had a dramatic impact on me under any circumstances.
Thank you again.

[Sage Gabrielle]

Really it home. I'll be sure to keep all of this in mind tonight.