When I'm Dead And Gone Poem by Daniel Chapman

When I'm dead and gone,
Please don't drown the room in another sad song.
Let the music be soft, let the memories be loud,
Let laughter break through the tears in the crowd.

I don't want sorrow to be all that remains,
I want smiles to rise through the heartache and pain.
Remember this moment—how quickly it flies,
Today turns to yesterday right before our eyes.

Celebrate my ending the way you did my start,
With candles, with stories, with love in your heart.
Remember the good I tried hard to give,
Forget the worst parts—remember how I lived.

Remember the love we held when things fell apart,
Because sometimes love was the only thing we had.
When I'm dead and gone, who will miss me then?
I hope my name still brings warmth now and then.

I hope the thought of me softens your day,
Like a familiar song that won't fade away.
To those I hurt—I carry that weight,
I'm sorry I learned some lessons too late.

And to those who loved me when I felt unseen,
Thank you for standing where few would have been.
I need to say this while my voice is still strong,
Before I'm just a memory… before I'm gone.

Some may wonder why I'm writing this now,
Why I'm speaking like I've already taken a bow.
Maybe it's fear, or maybe it's truth,
That storms feel heavier the longer you move.

I'm not ready for death, not asking it near,
I just don't want silence to speak for me here.
I'd rather you know what my heart wants to say,
Than guess at my meaning some far-off day.

So if you remember me, remember me kind,
As someone who tried, who loved, who was human in time.
And if you ever miss me when I'm dead and gone,
Let it be gentle—like the echo of a song.