Observer’s Guide to Grief: Eulogy-Writing

Matt Saunders
Jul 27, 2017 · 1 min read
René Magritte, “The Empire of Light

“You will spend around fifty hours
Writing a five-minute eulogy
Including stories you wish you could forget
That wouldn’t help anyone else if you told them
And probably wouldn’t help you.

You will be overcome with anger
At your mistakes, and theirs
And when you think you’ve got it under control
It will burst its banks in a mighty flood
Of dirt-grey water.

You will watch that guy in that movie
Reading “Stop all the clocks” through his tears
And you’ll wonder if your voice will crack like that
When you stand up there in your funeral blues
Afraid that it will, and it won’t.

It will all be okay
Whatever you say
So even if it’s just one sentence,

Find the Love,
And say it.”

Excerpts from “The Observer’s Guide to Grief” by Matt Saunders


You may wish to read the Eulogy I wrote for my mother.

Alternatively you can go Back to The Observer’s Guide to Grief: Day One (which explains that the ‘book’ this is an excerpt from doesn’t exist),

or Forward to The Observer’s Guide to Grief: The Funeral.


Matt Saunders

Written by

Journeyman Poet

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade