Short funeral poem needed for brother

[hopelessbusiness]

Hello
I lost my lovely brother in the early hours of this morning. He was only 55 and died after a short and brutal illness. I want to read a short poem at his funeral - I've looked online at all the usual suspects but none is quite right. Does anybody have any different ones? Must be

• short
• Non religious
• Not 'old' language (Shakespeare, Donne etc)

Thanks in advance .

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my brother 10 years ago, he was 64.
I came on to suggest the Joyce Grenfell one. It was read at his funeral.
Some lovely suggestions here.

@hopelessbusiness I'm so sorry for your loss.

The poem summed up exactly how I felt about my Dad and although it was twelve years ago I still miss him very much.

I hope it brings you some comfort.

This is perfect

Depends how short you want it, but my niece read this at my mums funeral. It's very short and very to the point. Some things are just too beautiful to stay on earth ♥️

Nothing Gold Can Stay
BY ROBERT FROST
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

This is the poem I chose for DH's funeral last month. It was a sudden, unexpected death and I struggled to find an appropriate poem. He would have wanted something simple and not religious, he loved nature and had enjoyed reading Tolkien when younger.

ROADS GO EVER ON” BY J. R. R. TOLKIEN

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.

Roads go ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

@kennythekangaroo I'm sorry for your loss. That poem sounds perfect for your DH.
Thanks for all the suggestions - I went with 'He Is Gone' in the end.