Away

James Whitcomb Riley

I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead – . He is just away!

With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand
He has wandered into an unknown land,

And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there.

And you – O you, who the wildest yearn
For the old-time step and the glad return – ,

Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here;

And loyal still, as he gave the blows
Of his warrior-strength to his country’s foes- .

Mild and gentle, as he was brave- ,
When the sweetest love of his life he gave

To simple things – : Where the violets grew
Blue as the eyes they were likened to,

The touches of his hands have strayed
As reverently as his lips have prayed:

When the little brown thrush that harshly chirred
Was dear to him as the mocking-bird;

And he pitied as much as a man in pain
A writhing honey-bee wet with rain – .

Think of him still as the same, I say:
He is not dead – he is just away!

About This Poem

James Whitcomb Riley’s Away offers a gentle way of looking at loss. Rather than speaking of death as an ending, it imagines a loved one as simply being “away” until the day you meet again. Its hopeful message has brought comfort to many families over the years.

The poem works well in both religious and non-religious funeral services, especially if you want to focus on love, remembrance and the feeling that someone is never truly gone. For some, it captures exactly how they want to remember the person they have lost. Its simple words leave plenty of space for personal reflection.

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