140. Do not stand at my grave and weep
In the final episode of the Netflix series After Life, I heard a poem that caught my interest.
Lisa, portrayed by Kerry Godliman, reads it. She is the dying wife of the main character Tony, played by Ricky Gervais.
The poem is Do not stand by my grave and weep.
Later, I learned that Clare Harner (1909–1977) wrote it, and it was first published under the title “Immortality” in the December 1934 issue of Poetry magazine The Gypsy.
It is said that the poem was written shortly after the sudden death of Harner's brother and quickly gained traction as a eulogy, being read at funerals.
Here is the full poem -
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.