In Memoriam Poems | Examples

When A Light Is Extinguished

(“The Heart of It #2”, 2007, original oil)

When A Light Is Extinguished
(for Charlie)

Today a great light was extinguished
A great soul lost to his family, his friends
His nation, and humanity as a whole.
Shades of MLK Jr.’s assassination,
A shadow of hate swallowing up the light,
Spread out across the nation
Like the Sun eclipsed at noon.
In the dark we cry
Hearts broken open 
By the senseless taking of a life brighter than most,
Reminding us what kindness and brightness 
And generosity of spirit is truly like,
Bright and true
And in its essence deathless eternal.
Rest in peace young man,
Go in peace great soul.

(9/10/25)

Count 20

I'll run again at 20
If that's what you want
I can play in the rain on the asphalt
Without the soothing petrichor
If 20 minutes without your shadow ever existed
I'll cry my eyes out
Then laugh again
No longer able to use metaphors
In romantic stories
Sarcastic erases so much
Let's breathe a sigh of relief
We're no longer at the end of the road
But truly at the end
Not waving in a single word
Turning back into isolation

The sky didn't rain enough

I opened the door
it was unfamiliarly wet outside
the water eroded the memory

I have opened the wrong door

each door has a history
didn't know that
so I accidentally changed the story

now I'm entangled 
it feels like drifting through the ocean 
while seagrass has taken over your body
pushing you back

I don't want to go back

it is dark and wet
the sky is pouring heavily
compressing my lungs

I don't want to go back

I'll be forced to open my eyelids
and see
how mothers are wearing their children as a hat
                                                                  … your mother

while the walls are detouring from our house
may keepers hold you safe

we didn't know better

Briam, then and now

Briam, then

I'm Briam,
I'm the one who's always by 'em.
At the fair, he listens to every sound,
and sometimes begs to go on the merry-go-round.
As for the other rides, he's deathly afraid to try 'em.

Liam, now

I'm Briam,
I was the one who was always by 'em.
At the fair, he listened to every sound,
and sometimes begged to go on the merry-go-round.
As for the other rides, he was deathly afraid to try 'em.

life's final sentence

clouds think of stars
my Milkyway bars

motionless water
       on
 heart open 
        to
 blue skies

the trees are still green
well whatever

puzzle

over a thousand pieces 
to complete my puzzle
a picture of me, my heart
piecing it together my whole life
fitting in a new piece
filling in the frame
never quite complete
       pieces break off 
       pieces fall away 
leaving holes where others should be
       pieces are lost 
       pieces are found
it will never truly be complete
on the day I lost you
the largest piece vanished
leaving my puzzle broken forever

I heard a song

I thought of you today when I heard a song – 
A pop star using “ima” like you used to do.
The memories flooding my mind were strong,

Despite it all I put on a smile and sang along.
Reminders of correcting your English for you.
I thought of you today when I heard a song.

A rap star’s lyrics that are never wrong.
Words so perfect they will see me through.
The memories flooding my mind were strong.

A diva’s voice helps put you where you belong
Forever young wearing your halo in skies so blue
I thought of you today when I heard a song.

A song about a love lasting many years long.
For a thousand years I will love you.
The memories flooding my mind were strong.

Too many songs about losing someone so young.
Too many songs that are perfect and true.
I thought of you today when I heard a song.
The memories flooding my mind were strong.

All Of The Little Things Our Little Brains Choose To Remember For A Short Little While

Isn’t it odd?
All of the little things
that remain in our
little brains?

One day, you’ll
be walking down the
street, just minding your
own business, when suddenly
you’ll stop.

A sight,
A sound,
A scent,
A memory,

Something you have
never seen, heard, smelt,
or even experienced before
will catch your incomplete attention
so completely.

And send you to
the most magical of
places.

Something from your
childhood,

Something from the
small town you drove through
last autumn.

Something from that
department store shelf
at that street corner you
never thought you’d actually
go to. But then you did.

Something from
a bad day.

Something from a
good one.

All of that energy,
all of that time,
and still, I can’t
put a name to what
that feeling is.

Nostalgia?
No, it goes
deeper than
that.

Much, much
deeper.

After a bit, you’ll
wonder a while,
and then you’ll simply
move on.

Maybe all it is was
grief expressed purely.

Because living
in a world where
things are so temporary
is a bittersweet thing.

Better times,
worse times,
doesn’t matter.

It all
sticks
around.

When Peace Became a Memory

By Tanvir Mostafa 

Where are our those days, where is our lost society?
What we behold right now—is it the proper system of community?
Does goodness prevail or exist in the mid of us really?
We find soundness of reason and justice only occasionally.
Many a poet says the world is the right place for love and peace,
But perhaps that thought belonged to their own time, not this..
This is the time of anarchy, violence, and indiscipline,
We find people talk about problem and suffering.
Now people deal with science and technology,
But many noble souls died for their ideology..
People in this modernity, with what they have, can’t remain happy,                                         Their restless minds still chase a missing harmony.
How can I embrace  the sayings of poets?
Instead of love and peace, the world is a place of riots.
Deadly weapons are made to put an end to lives,
As if only hatred and bloodshed survive.

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Calling

Calling
To the I Am 
Alone and on my knees
In a valley filled with death's air 
His gift: Freedom in an endless expanse
My prison's narrow walls collapsed 
I walked in green meadows 
Seeing the sun
Calling


Inspired by a prayer from the beautiful "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl.

MOUSE HOUSE

MOUSE HOUSE*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In my shoe, I found quite a sight,
a small mouse, with fur soft and light.
     He twitched and he squeaked,
     as I gasped and I freaked,
Then we both took off running in fright!

*This poem is written in memoriam and dedicated to the field mouse who mistakenly decided our garage would be a cool place to wait out summer's heat.

Lost

Didn't know I was lost, but I was.
Fourteen hours now, maybe more      
since I left to find my way
to the highway.

Water's all gone with the last of the sun,
or was it the day before?    
I don't know anymore. What was it she said?
made me laugh.. 
and forget,  
these boots full of lead.

 Everywhere I look, reminds me of her.

For Comparison Competition

Happy Mother’s Day!
Hooray, should I say?
Nay! ‘Tis naught but disarray you fool

I dodge ducks – their beluga-toned feathers at least– 
and the platinum pillows from whence they came
Whizzing by like my long four years of fame,
Eggs of pikachu hue, toast of darkest sinew

Oh no, I must go
She’s as happy as a blobfishy
How was I to know
Her special day was two months ago?

Those we love

When singing praise to the Lord above,
that our feeling take flight like a white dove.
The joyful songs melts away all anger and fear.
That one can't help not to drop a tear.
Yet in the end the believers find comfort,where there's love.

Armistice

NOVEMBER 2022

Rightly so, the poppies flood
Early in the winter sky
Merrily stood in field, and this
Existence of mine has passed by
Maybe they'd watch us contend
But are authorities ever sober?
Early now, in Winter's sky
Realise how they owed her

Unwillingly ignorant to the loss, they'll be
Scorching their retinas, a veil of red

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memorial, in memory of, in honour of, immortalizing