Excerpt from “Let Me Go”
Written by Christine Georgina Rossetti
When I come to the end of the road,
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little – but not for long.
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that once we shared.
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we must all take,
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the master plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart,
Go to the friends we know,
Laugh at all the things we used to do.
Miss me, but let me go.
Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894 / London)
21 Responses
I simply love this poem and used it as a mantra when my mom passed in 1995.
Thanks Wanda and Julia. Yes, it is a wonderful poem of celebration and joy. While still being sweet enough to acknowledge the pain.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
This is a lovely poem. I am in my sixties and still well but am planning an information packet for my kids to use on my passing. This poem is one of several that I will include because it incorporates my lifetime mantra of celebrating and remembering a loved ones life, not just grieving their passing.
I am about to add this to my little brother obituary. He was shot 3 times and killed by his best friend and I hear him coming through in this loud and clear. I remember seeing this in a least one other obituary in my life. I had to let it go and let GOD..
Oh Rebecca,
My thoughts and prayers are with you, during this very difficult time. The images you shared suggest there is much behind the story, and I wonder how you are, where you are, and whether you have a good support team to nurture you through this difficult time.
Warm regards, and do not hesitate to reach out through email or personal message to me.
Kath
My husband left this poem for me in a box that he knew I would open if I moved house. For a number of reasons it was only a few months after he died. I found it a real shock and couldn’t look at it again until now 9 months after he died. I know I will always miss him and won’t apologise for that. He chose the music for his funeral because he had died within 6 months of being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He chose a range but one that was really sad but summed us up was Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce. It was incredibly moving and I felt so humbled that such a thoughtful, kind enigmatic man had spent 40 years of his life with me. The song is even more poignant as Jim Croce died soon after he wrote and produced it.
Neither of us were/are religious but I know he lives on with me in spirit or whatever it might be.
Just felt I needed to share this, I came across this site when I was trying to see where he had found the poem.
Jo
Jo
THanks for sharing this lovely story. A beautiful tribute to your husband. What a gift he left you. And how you must miss him, and at this time of thanksgiving, give thanks especially for him.
I think it might be a poignant time of missing him as well, and for that, I send my love and thoughts.
warm regards to you,
Kath
I just lost a close friend of mine and the poem so >much describes want she would have wanted people to do in reaction to her death
Having Googled it, it seems this poem was by ‘Christina Rossetti’ and is not ‘Anonymous’, though many websites seem to say anonymous.
“Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children’s poems. She is famous for “Goblin Market” and “Remember”. She wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in the British Isles: “In the Bleak Midwinter”, later set to music by Gustav Holst and by Harold Darke, and “Love Came Down at Christmas”, also set by Harold Darke and by other composers.”
per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
See also https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/christina-rossetti and https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45000/remember-56d224509b7ae
Thanks so much for clarification and education! Warm regards!
Hi, it says that the poem is anonymous, but thought I could add the following. It is an adaptation from a poem by Christina Rossetti, which starts: “When I come to the end of the road/and the sun has set for me/I want no tears in a gloom-filled room… You can find the whole poem on various internet sites.
That is correct. The publishing information was not available online when this post was first published. We have amended the posting to reflect the author and excerpted portion of the poem. Thanks!
WE put it in a program for my moms celebration of life because she had it around the house and at first we thought she wrote in but realized that was not the case but when I looked it up, it said unknown by the writers name. It said that at that time but now it has an author. Please thank her for writing such a beautiful poem and now I can refer to her, the author when I talk about the poem. As a fellow poet, I appreciate the words and feelings behind the beautiful poem and I appreciate having been able to use it for moms service. It was obviously very important to me because it was amongst her things in her room and we found it when she passed.
Holly,
It is interesting how many people have commented on this poem and how the poem meant so much to them.
Thank you.
Warmly,
Kath
Life is amazing. My “Pop” just passed away last week at 91 . I am organizing his house. and this poem just fell out of a book. It was hand written by my Dad to Me… signed by my dog “Sam”. She had died 10 years ago.
I never knew he had written down this poem on a piece of paper (he must have forgotten to give it to me). Now… a week after he’s gone.. it falls out of a book.
I can barely type this right now as I am heartbroken and kind of shocked… yet relieved he is finally out of pain. I was able to spend the last few years being by his side as his caregiver.
This perfect poem will resonate with me always to remind me of my Pop and of course my Sammy.
Andrea, thank you for your story/post. So, if I understand correctly, your dad prepared it for you, on behalf of the dog, when the dog died. But in fact, it arrived to you, from your dad, just after he died.
Wow. that is a sweet story. What a lovely gift. ALl the best to you.
I thank you Christina Georgina Rossetti for this heart mending, hope building and assurance to live on even after the death of a beloved one..
I am now using this poem in my burial tribute to my honourable and honoured husband who will be buried finally on the 19th of May 2023.
Your testimony, particularly the last sentence, is as beautiful as the poem
I found this kind and inspiring poem in one of my wife’s photo albums.
Myvanwy died peacefully on 12 February 2024 after a 5 year battle with AL Amyloidosis
We had been best friends for 62 of her last 63 years and married for 57. Only sad that
we didn’t find it in time for her funeral but it is now like a beacon as to how I should remember
the love of my life.
Paul
I’m glad to have found this. I adapted the poem that originally was listed as unknown and changed around the wording but I’m really glad to know now who to attribute it to. This is how I changed it.
“MISS ME BUT LET ME GO”
“When I have come to the end of the road
and the sun has set for me
Miss me a little, but not for long
why cry for a soul set free?”
“Remember the love that once we shared,
but not with your head bowed low
For this is a journey, we all must take,
and each must go alone”
“It’s all a part of the Masters plan
a step on the road to home
Miss me a little, but not for long
love me but let me go!”
“When you feel lonely and sick at heart,
go to the friends, we know
Laugh at the things we used to do
miss me, but let me go!”
❤️
UNKNOWN
Thanks Helen,
This is such a loved poem.
All the best to you!
K