Today’s poem is from MS. Lorimer.

I found this in an anthology of poems my mum gave me about hope and it’s one I’ve always come back to. It’s called The Dash by Linda Ellis (written in 1996) and she explores the themes of death and life through the concept of the small dash that separates the two dates we are remembered by.

I find this poem rather uplifting as it encourages us to embrace the day and it’s a good reminder “To be less quick to anger / And show appreciation more / And love the people in our lives / Like we’ve never loved before.” I hope it also provides some comfort for those grieving the loss of loved ones. Whilst the newspapers share morbid dates and statistics, they often fail to share all the memories and wonderful lives lived in that all-important and all-too-brief dash. I hope you find some comfort and inspiration in it too. 

THE DASH 
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her know
What that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So when your eulogy is being read,
With your life’s actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you lived your dash?