MISS ME A LITTLE BUT LET ME GO*

I have come to the end of my journey
and the sun has set for me,
but I want no rites in a gloom filled room;
why cry for my soul set free?
Miss me a little please
but not for long with heads bowed,
remember my love or friendship
and smile when I’m not around.
Take care of yourselves my friends,

may your care of others abound;

take time to reflect upon the Earth

and what you leave to be found.

* This poem was inspired by the original by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Christina Georgina Rossetti

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me

I want no rites in a gloom-filled room

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little - but not for too long

And not with your head bowed low

Remember the love that we once shared

Miss me - but let me go

For this is a journey that we all must take

And each must go alone.

It's all part of the Master's plan

A step on the road to home

When you are lonely and sick of heart

Go to the friends we know

And Bury your sorrows in doing Good deeds

Miss me but let me go.

Wed 12th Aug 2020: I came across more to the original poem ...

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free

I'm following paths God made for me.

I took his hand, I heard him call

Then turned, and bid farewell to all.

I could not stay another day

To laugh, to love, to sing, to play.

Tasks left undone must stay that way

I found my peace at close of day.

And if my parting left a void

Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,

Ah yes, these thing I too will miss.

Be not burned deep with sorrow

My life's been full I've savoured much.

Good friends, good times

A loved one's touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief

Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.

Lift up your heart and share with me

God wants me now - He set me free.

PERSONAL COMMENT

Wow, I can see why the shortened version of this poem is commonly cited, for the first 4 verses distil the whole poem into a desire to be remembered, expressed with humility.

The "extra" verses give rise to the thought that more is somehow less: too much pathos in this remembrance "cake" and too much indulgence by the poet who appears (to me) to have stopped talking to her friends and set about "bigging herself up" with grandiose words, such as

I'm following paths God made for me

Tasks left undone must stay that way

And if my parting left a void

Be not burned deep by sorrow

God wants ME !