See the link below. It is a beautiful poem.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Dance Continued

Frances how lovely of you - and yes it is the lovely poem I remember - now I have also found it set to music - by Finzi - in a collection of Hardy's poems - for the tenor voice - thanks to you - I have sent this information to her.
Many many thanks

Jankin,

I know this isn't what you specifically wanted, but I think it's one of the best - if not THE best, from VETERIS VESTIGIAE FLAMMAE - the set of poems he wrote after Emma's death in (I think) 1912. When my ex-husband died 18 moths ago, I couldn't stop reciting it to myself.

After a Journey

Hereto I come to view a voiceless ghost;
Whither, O whither will its whim now draw me?
Up the cliff, down, till I'm lonely, lost,
And the unseen waters' ejaculations awe me.
Where you will next be there's no knowing,
Facing round about me everywhere,
With your nut-coloured hair,
And gray eyes, and rose-flush coming and going.

Yes: I have re-entered your olden haunts at last;
Through the years, through the dead scenes I have tracked you;
What have you now found to say of our past Â
Scanned across the dark space wherein I have lacked you?
Summer gave us sweets, but autumn wrought division?
Things were not lastly as firstly well
With us twain, you tell?
But all's closed now, despite Time's derision.

I see what you are doing: you are leading me on
To the spots we knew when we haunted here together,
The waterfall, above which the mist-bow shone
At the then fair hour in the then fair weather,
And the cave just under, with a voice still so hollow
That it seems to call out to me from forty years ago,
When you were all aglow,
And not the thin ghost that I now frailly follow!

Ignorant of what there is flitting here to see,
The waked birds preen and the seals flop lazily,
Soon you will have, Dear, to vanish from me,
For the stars close their shutters and the dawn whitens hazily.
Trust me, I mind not, though Life lours,
The bringing me here; nay, bring me here again!
I am just the same as when
Our days were a joy, and our paths through flowers.

Hardy

Jankin, what about "Stop All the Clocks" by the inimitable W.H. Auden? I am sure you are familiar with this one. It's one of my favorites and would fall into the category of Humanistic, I think.

Many thanks for such kind thoughts -I know they are thinking of Auden and I have sent the Hardy poem on,
My DH suggested this:

Lullaby

Sleep, my baby, the night is coming soon.
Sleep, my baby, the day has broken down.

Sleep now: let silence come, let the shadows form
A castle of strength for you, a fortress of calm.

You are so small, sleep will come with ease.
Hush now, be still now, join the silences.

Elizabeth Jennings

Thank you all

Jankin,

I'm sure you know this one (Read at my mother's funeral):

from Cymbeline

Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages;
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.

Fear no more the frown o' the great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke:
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan;
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

William Shakespeare

Thank you all so much and Dido my friend has chosen the Cymbeline passage,
Jan