When I Am Gone Poem by Francis Duggan

When I am gone on me don't waste a tear
For from where I lay your sobs I will not hear
And anyway tears never help the dead
So smile and think of better days ahead.

When I'm not here life it will carry on
And flowers will bloom in Spring when I am gone
And birds will build their nests and lark will fly
Up from his nest to carol in the sky.

And river will flow on eternally
Through woods and groves and downland to the sea
And migratory bird will fly to far away
When leaves are falling and the skies are gray.

And in the night beneath a darkened sky
The rural man will hear the wild fox cry
In mid Winter out searching for a mate
The urge is strong in him to re-create.

When I am gone there will be moths and bees
And in Summer fruits will ripen on fruit trees
And I will be one more forgotten face
For there will be others to take my place.