Funeral Poems for Dad

Short Funeral Poems for Dad

Short poems of four to eight lines fit well on the back of a memorial card, at the end of a funeral program, or as a quiet reading before the eulogy.

Letting Go

You ran beside my bike and held
the seat until I found my way.
You let me go when I was ready.
Now I let you go today.

Showing Up

He wasn't one for speeches,
for flowers or for fuss;
he showed his love by showing up,
each day, for all of us.

Rest Easy

Rest easy, Dad. The work is done,
the fences mended, one by one.
We'll keep things up the way you would
and try to be, like you, plain good.

True North

You were the compass that I kept,
the north I always knew;
whatever road I take from here
will lead me back to you.

Funeral Poems for Dad From a Daughter

You've Got This

You taught me how to change a tire,
to bait a hook, to stand up tall,
to look a person in the eye,
and not to fear the world at all.

You said I'd do fine on my own,
and I believed you, so I did;
but I still reach to call you, Dad,
like I did when I was a kid.

So when the road gets rough ahead
and I don't know what to do,
I'll hear you say, "You've got this, kid,"
and I will make it through, for you.

One Dance More

I stood on top of your shoes, Dad,
and danced across the kitchen floor;
you hummed a song from long ago,
and I kept begging, "One dance more."

I'd give the world to stand there now,
my socks on top of your shoes,
to hear you hum that same old song,
the one I'll never lose.

A Funeral Poem for Dad From a Son

Handing You Tools

I used to stand beside you
in the garage, handing tools,
pretending that I understood
your engines and your rules.

You never said much about feelings;
you'd clear your throat instead.
But you were at the game each time,
and that said all that could be said.

Now I'm the one with grease-stained hands,
and a kid is handing me tools,
and I hear myself explaining
your engines and your rules.

A Poem From All of His Children

Carried

We were the reason for the overtime,
the second job, the early alarm;
we were the ones you lifted high
and carried, sleeping, in your arms.

Now we are grown, and we can see
the load you carried, left unsaid;
and we will carry you with us,
the way you carried us to bed.

Poems for Dad in Heaven

For a father whose faith carried him, or for a family that takes comfort in picturing him at peace, these poems speak of heaven and the welcome home.

Dear Dad in Heaven

Dear Dad, I hope that heaven
has a porch that faces west,
a rocking chair, a gentle breeze,
and all the time to rest.

I hope the coffee's fresh and hot,
the grill is lit, the game is on,
the ones you missed are by your side,
and every worry's gone.

And when you look down here at us,
I hope you know it's true:
we're doing fine, the way you taught,
but, Dad, we sure miss you.

A Man of Faith

He prayed before he ate his meals;
his grace was short and plain.
He trusted God with bills and kids,
in sunshine and in rain.

He kept his faith the way he kept
his promises: for good.
And now he's home with God, who knows
he lived the way he should.

So don't you grieve too long for him;
he'd tell you not to fret.
He's resting in the arms of God
with nothing to regret.

Gone Fishing

He's gone fishing, early morning,
where the river's calm and wide,
and the Lord is in the boat with him,
sitting quiet at his side.

Bible Verses for a Father

Scripture can stand on its own or follow a poem in the program. These verses are from the King James Version.

Proverbs 20:7

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

Proverbs 17:6

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

For more scripture and prayers, see our guide to prayers for a funeral program.

Poems About the Life He Lived

Work Boots

His work boots by the back door
are scuffed and caked and worn;
they walked him out before the sun
on every working morn.

They walked him to our ballgames,
to church, and down the hall
when one of us was crying;
they walked him through it all.

Now they sit there, empty,
but we will fill their space:
we'll walk the way he taught us,
at his steady, honest pace.

Going Home (For a Veteran)

He answered when his country called
and served with quiet pride;
he never talked about it much;
he kept that part inside.

He came home and raised a family
and never sought the praise;
he gave his country years of youth
and gave us all his days.

So fold the flag with care today
and let the bugle play;
our soldier has his orders now:
he's going home to stay.

An Uplifting Poem for a Celebration of Life

Some dads would want a cookout, not a sad goodbye. This poem is written in his voice, as a note to the family.

Don't Make a Fuss

Don't make a fuss on my account;
I wouldn't want you to.
Just fire the grill, pass round the chips,
and tell a tale or two.

Remember how I laughed too loud
at every awful pun?
Go on and tell my worst one now,
then go and have some fun.

I'm in the way you shake a hand,
the way you hold a door,
the way you show up for your own;
that's what I was here for.

For more poems in this spirit, see our collection of celebration of life poems.

Classic Funeral Poems for a Father

These well-loved poems are more than a century old and in the public domain, so they can be printed and read freely.

Only a Dad, by Edgar Guest

Only a dad with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little of gold or fame
To show how well he has played the game;
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come and to hear his voice.

Only a dad with a brood of four,
One of ten million men or more
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,
With never a whimper of pain or hate,
For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd,
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent whenever the harsh condemn,
And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad but he gives his all,
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing with courage stern and grim
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen:
Only a dad, but the best of men.

If your dad had more or fewer than four children, many families change "a brood of four" to fit.

Requiem, by Robert Louis Stevenson (1887)

Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.

Stevenson's last two lines are often printed on their own for a father who loved the sea or the outdoors.

O Captain! My Captain!, by Walt Whitman (1865)

Whitman wrote this poem for Abraham Lincoln, but its final verse, with the line "My father does not feel my arm," is often read for a father who led his family:

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Choosing and Reading a Poem at His Funeral

• Match the length to the place. Four to eight lines fit a memorial card; up to sixteen lines fit a program page; a reading at the service can run one to two minutes.
• Choose his voice, not just a beautiful one. A dad who loved a bad pun may be better honored by "Don't Make a Fuss" than by a solemn classic.
• Pair it with the right reader. A daughter or son often reads the poem while another family member gives the eulogy. If you are writing the eulogy too, our funeral speech writer can help.
• Practice it aloud three times. Print it in large type, mark where to pause, and have a backup reader ready. Stopping to breathe, or to cry, is all right.
• Introduce it in a sentence. "Dad used to say this about his boots" tells everyone why it matters before the first line.

For shorter lines to use in his obituary or on a card, see our obituary quotes for father.

Adding the Poem to His Program or Memorial Card

Every funeral program template on FuneralFolio has a section for a poem or prayer, and memorial cards have room for a short verse on the back. Copy any poem above, paste it into the template, add his photo and dates, and download a print-ready file. Funeral programs can also be ordered as printed copies for the service.