The universe is a vast and wondrous place, full of mystery and beauty.
In contemplating death, some find solace in contemplating the stars and universe.
It can help with grief, to feel that we are part of something greater than ourselves, connected to the cosmos in ways that are both awe-inspiring and humbling.
To celebrate a life, as part of a modern funeral or memorial, we can turn to poetry and famous quotes that speak of cosmic wonder and our place in the universe.
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Tomorrow Funerals is a modern funeral home specialising in cremations and memorials. We focus on offering the most sustainable options, currently available, to our families in Melbourne and Sydney – all within our simple, comprehensive package.
We have complied a list of inspiring writing on stars, the cosmos and the universe. And here are some other examples of poems to read at a funeral.
“Immortality” by Gail Elder James
“I looked and saw in the evening,
Earth and sky joined by a silvery stair;
And in the star’s clear majesty
Once again my heart found you there.”
“The Starry Night” quote by Vincent Van Gogh:
“When I have a terrible need of – shall I say the word – religion.
Then I go out and paint the stars.”
The Sombre Astronomer by Michael Humphries
“You said to look to the night skies
For there is no other love so resolute
That the feelings we grow for others;
They are never absolute.
So jealously I stare at the stars
But you are all I see;
For they are where your heart resides
And where I long to be.”
From the lyrics of “Woodstock” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:
“We are stardust, we are golden,
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden.”
Essay by Neil De Grasse Tyson
“There is a fundamental reason why we look at the sky with wonder and longing—for the same reason that we stand, hour after hour, gazing at the distant swell of the open ocean. There is something like an ancient wisdom, encoded and tucked away in our DNA, that knows its point of origin as surely as a salmon knows its creek. Intellectually, we may not want to return there, but the genes know, and long for their origins—their home in the salty depths. But if the seas are our immediate source, the penultimate source is certainly the heavens…
The spectacular truth is—and this is something that your DNA has known all along—the very atoms of your body—the iron, calcium, phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and on and on—were initially forged in long-dead stars. This is why, when you stand outside under a moonless, country sky, you feel some ineffable tugging at your innards. We are star stuff. Keep looking up.”
“Carbon” poem by Ron Smith:
“Carbon, you’re the universal donor, C,
the basis of organic life, Carbon,
you’re the ultimate bonder,
Black diamond, graffitied on a knife.”
Universe, By Alicia
“some nights you will feel
like there are a thousand galaxies
exploding in every inch of you
and you are burning too bright
to ever be looked at directly,
and some nights you will feel
impossibly small, like your
whole body could slip through
the spaced between atoms and
never reappear in this world again,
and some nights you will feel
like a paper doll, carefully crafted
and easily blown away, fragile,
too delicate to ever be touched,
and some nights you will feel
like each cell in your body is
made of the strength that holds
the whole planet together,
and that is okay because you are
made of stardust and miniscule
atoms and breakable bones
and the building blocks of
everything in the universe,
and you are too alive to never
feel anything more than human”
Desiderata: Words for Life by Max Enhrmann
“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.”
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Dealing with grief and death is part of being human. Whether within a religious context or from a more scientific mind set, people have always looked to the stars and the immensity of the universe, and our connection to it. It reminds us that we are part of something greater than ourselves and there might be some comfort in that.
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