Original poems
Things He Showed Us
Not every lesson
came as advice.
Some arrived as watching:
how he fixed what broke,
how he greeted a neighbor,
how he stayed with a hard task.
We learned more
than we knew we were learning.
Old Stories, New Voices
His stories move now
from one voice to another.
Details change.
The laughter does not.
This is how a family
keeps someone near:
not by freezing a life,
but by carrying it forward.
What this poem collection is trying to hold
This collection centers stories, practical skills, humor and what one generation learns by watching another. That focus is deliberate: relationship-specific verse should do more than replace “mother” with “father” or “dog” with “cat.” The imagery, emotional distance and details should change with the relationship itself.
Personalization test
Before using a poem publicly, identify one image or line that matches the person you are remembering. If none of the imagery fits, choose another poem rather than forcing the relationship label to do all the work.
Prepare this collection for its actual setting
- Read it aloud before choosing it; spoken rhythm matters at a service.
- For private use, adapt a line with a name, place, habit, or detail that belongs to the person.
- If a venue, celebrant, publication, or livestream needs text in advance, send the final version early.
- Do not attach a famous author’s name to an anonymous or rewritten poem.