There is no death

There is no death! The stars go down

To rise upon some other shore,

And bright in heaven's jeweled crown

They shine forevermore.

 

There is no death! The forest leaves

Convert to life the viewless air;

The rocks disorganize to feed

The hungry moss they bear.

 

There is no death! The dust we tread

Shall change, beneath the summer showers

To golden grain, or mellowed fruit,

Or rainbow-tinted flowers.

There is no death! The leaves may fall,

And flowers may fade and pass away.

They only wait, through wintry hours,

The warm, sweet breath of May.

 

There is no death! The choicest gifts

That heaven hath kindly lent to earth

Are ever first to seek again

The country of their birth.

 

And all things that for growth or joy

Are worthy of our love or care,

Whose loss has left us desolate,

Are safely garnered there.

 

Though life becomes a desert waste,

We know it's fairest, sweetest flowers,

Transplanted into Paradise,

Adorn immortal bowers.

 

The voice of birdlike melody

That we have missed and mourned so long,

Now mingles with the angel choir

In everlasting song.

 

There is no death! Although we grieve

When beautiful, familiar forms

That we have learned to love are torn

From our embracing arms.

 

Although with bowed and breaking heart,

With sable garb and silent tread,

We bear their senseless dust to rest,

And say that they are "dead".

 

They are not dead! They have but passed

Beyond the mists that blind us here

Into the new and larger life

Of that serener sphere.

 

They have but dropped their robe of clay

To put their shining raiment on;

They have not wandered far away--

They are not "lost” nor "gone".

 

Though disenthralled and glorified

They still are here and love us yet;

The dear ones they have left behind

They never can forget.

 

And sometimes, when our hearts grow faint

Amid temptations fierce and deep,

Or when the wildly raging waves

Of grief or passion sweep,

 

We feel upon our fevered brow

Their gentle touch, their breath of balm;

Their arms enfold us, and our hearts

Grow comforted and calm.

 

And ever near us, though unseen,

The dear, immortal spirits tread.

For all the boundless universe

Is Life - there are no dead!

 

(J. L. McCreery)

 

*****

 

The following poem contains identical verses. It was impossible for me to determine whether it is a mistake in one of my discoveries or whether parts have been copied by an author from the other. I've marked the identical sections by italics.

 

*****

 

There is no death! The stars go down

To rise upon some fairer shore:

And bright in heaven's jeweled crown

They shine forevermore.

 

There is no death! The dust we tread

Shall change beneath the summer shower?

To golden grain or mellowed fruit,

Or rainbow-tinted flowers.

 

The granite rocks disorganize,

And feed the hungry moss they bear;

The forest leaves drink daily life,

From out the viewless air.

 

There is no death! The leaves may fall,

And flowers may fade and pass away;

They only wait through wintry hours,

The coming of the May.

 

There is no death! An Angel form

Walks o'er the earth with silent tread

He bears our best loved things away

And then we call them "dead."

 

He leaves our hearts all desolate,

He plucks our fairest, sweetest flowers

Transplanted into bliss, they now

Adorn immortal bowers.

 

The bird-like voice, whose joyous tones,

Made glad these scenes of sin and strife

Sings now an everlasting song,

Around the tree of life.

 

Where’re He sees a smile too bright,

Or heart too pure for taint and vice

He bears it to that world of light,

To dwell in paradise.

 

Born unto that undying life,

They leave us but to come again

With joy we welcome them the same -

Except their sin and pain.

 

And ever near us, though unseen,

The dear immortal spirits tread;

For all the boundless universe

Is life - there are no dead.

 

(Sir Edward Bewlar, Lord Lytton (1803-1873))