Choosing poems to be included in your ceremony can be a challenge if you’re “not into poetry”.
I’ll let you into a little secret… I personally only like the ones that rhyme! But it’s not about me.
Poetry can really make a ceremony flow, poems can set the tone and they can help with the atmosphere but they really should be meaningful to you and not just a poem for the sake of a poem.
I recently wrote a funeral ceremony for a lovely lady who I knew personally when I was growing up so I knew she was a no-nonsense, say it as it is kind of a woman so when her sons asked me to suggest something appropriate – I knew it had to be Pam Ayres. The poem I chose was called ‘With These Hands’ and it was perfect for her! They loved it.
So… take your time, use the internet as there are a gazillion poems on there and choose poems that you love rather than perhaps the perfectly lovely but very common ones used in a lot of ceremonies.
Of course, the ultimate would be to write your own or get someone to write one for you – I’m not sure how much Pam Ayres charges!!??
Your celebrant can make suggestions and point you in the right direction too… just don’t panic about poetry!
Emma
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