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	<title>Valley of Life &#124; Online Memorial Blog &#187; Poetry</title>
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	<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog</link>
	<description>Obituary Services, Virtual Memorials, Memorial Tributes</description>
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		<title>Tupac Shakur &#124; Fallen Star</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/tupac-shakur-fallen-star_2010_03_31/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/tupac-shakur-fallen-star_2010_03_31/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:46:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fallen Star]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tupac Shakur]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1919</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite any negative impressions you may have of the African-American rapper, Tupac Shakur (2Pac) was a poet in his own right. Whether his lyrics were put to music or not, it is clear that Shakur was an artist at his core &#8212; a fact that is prominent in all his work. Below, Shakur is said [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/tupac-shakur-fallen-star_2010_03_31/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; Death Leaves Us Homesick, Who Behind</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-death-leaves-us-homesick-who-behind_2010_03_16/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-death-leaves-us-homesick-who-behind_2010_03_16/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:04:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death Leaves Us Homesick]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1863</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The following poem by Dickinson attempts to explore the emotions those of us feel who have lost a loved one. Dickinson likens feelings of bereavement to that of homesickness, as if to say the departed are like a home which we are far away from and cannot get to. Her observations, I think, are well-reasoned. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-death-leaves-us-homesick-who-behind_2010_03_16/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; All But Death Can Be Adjusted</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-all-but-death-can-be-adjusted_2010_03_02/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-all-but-death-can-be-adjusted_2010_03_02/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:46:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All But Death Can Be Adjusted]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1801</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dickinson writes with timeless insight in her poem, &#8220;All But Death Can Be Adjusted&#8221;, below. Though only two stanzas in length, she poetically captures the unpredictability of life and the finality of death. Dickinson concludes her poem emphatically with her perspective on death &#8212; essentially, once you&#8217;re gone, you&#8217;re gone &#8211; but I think it&#8217;s her [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-all-but-death-can-be-adjusted_2010_03_02/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>James Weldon Johnson &#124; Go Down, Death</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/james-weldon-johnson-go-down-death_2010_02_24/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/james-weldon-johnson-go-down-death_2010_02_24/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:58:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black History month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funeral poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Go Down Death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Weldon Johnson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1777</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, in honor of Black History month, Valley of Life is highlighting African-American poet James Weldon Johnson (1817-1939). Born in Florida, Johnson attended Atlanta University with the intention that his education would further the interests of the black people. As a result, Johnson composed a number of influential pieces during his lifetime. In 1900, he wrote [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/james-weldon-johnson-go-down-death_2010_02_24/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Langston Hughes &#124; Night Funeral In Harlem</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/langston-hughes-night-funeral-in-harlem_2010_02_15/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/langston-hughes-night-funeral-in-harlem_2010_02_15/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:51:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black History month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funeral poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Langston Hughes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Night Funeral in Harlem]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To celebrate Black History month, Valley of Life is featuring poetry composed by the black community in America. An earlier poet, Langston Hughes (1902-1967), was well-known for his literary works during a period called the &#8220;Harlem Renaissance.&#8221; Below, Hughes offers his thoughts on the ability to honor one&#8217;s death through a poem he composed about [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/langston-hughes-night-funeral-in-harlem_2010_02_15/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>John McCrae &#124; In Flanders Fields</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields_2010_01_30/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields_2010_01_30/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In Flanders Fields]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John McCrae]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[military poems]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1710</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The following poem was composed by John McCrae, a doctor serving in the military during wartime. Upon the death of a friend and former student he had been serving with, McCrae scribbled the fifteen lines below during one of his breaks, gazing upon the grave of his friend. The poem was nearly lost when McCrae [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields_2010_01_30/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tom Zart &#124; Haiti Earthquake Memorial Poem 2010</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/tom-zart-haiti-earthquake-memorial-poem-2010_2010_01_18/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/tom-zart-haiti-earthquake-memorial-poem-2010_2010_01_18/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:37:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earthquake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Haiti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Haiti Earthquake Memorial Poem 2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memorial poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Zart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nearly a week ago, tragedy struck the Haitian nation. Today, devastation continues to take its toll. Homes, businesses, schools are left in ruin, and friends and family continue to realize terrible fears &#8212; their loved ones have been lost. In the wake of this disaster, Valley of Life encourages you to support the grieving nation in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/tom-zart-haiti-earthquake-memorial-poem-2010_2010_01_18/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Alan Harris &#124; Wounded Holidays</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/alan-harris-wounded-holidays_2009_12_20/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/alan-harris-wounded-holidays_2009_12_20/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:54:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alan Harris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday grief support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memorial poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wounded Holidays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1601</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I came across this poem as I was searching for resources to help with holiday grief. The poem references the tragic loss of young children, and how the holiday season only worsens the grief of the parents they&#8217;ve left behind. Despite the pain, however, the parents offer those who are hurting a glimmer of hope [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/alan-harris-wounded-holidays_2009_12_20/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Henry Scott Holland &#124; Death Is Nothing At All</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/henry-scott-holland-death-is-nothing-at-all_2009_12_10/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/henry-scott-holland-death-is-nothing-at-all_2009_12_10/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:39:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Death is Nothing at All]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funeral poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Henry Scott Holland]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1575</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) was a professor of divinity at the University of Oxford as well as a canon of Christ Church in Oxford. Holland delivered a sermon (titled &#8220;The King of Terrors&#8221;) in May of 1910 following the death of King Edward VII in which he explored certain nuances of death. In his discussion of this sermon, Holland wrote what is perhaps his [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/henry-scott-holland-death-is-nothing-at-all_2009_12_10/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; &#8220;Heaven&#8221; has different Signs—to me—</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-heaven-has-different-signs%e2%80%94to-me%e2%80%94_2009_11_30/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-heaven-has-different-signs%e2%80%94to-me%e2%80%94_2009_11_30/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:23:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heaven]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1538</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yet another poem by Dickinson shows not only her versatility but her ability to speak to different aspects of death, grief, and mourning. In this particular work, Dickinson muses about the concept of &#8220;Heaven.&#8221; It would seem, on Dickinson&#8217;s part, that Heaven is still a profound mystery, but that we catch glimpses of &#8220;the place/That [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-heaven-has-different-signs%e2%80%94to-me%e2%80%94_2009_11_30/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mary Frye &#124; Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/mary-frye-do-not-stand-at-my-grave-and-weep_2009_11_24/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/mary-frye-do-not-stand-at-my-grave-and-weep_2009_11_24/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:19:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eulogy poems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funeral poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mary Frye]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memorial poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1507</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 1998, the following poem was confirmed to have been composed by Mary Elizabeth Frye, as this fact was disputed for a number of years.  The poem is unique in that it is written from the perspective of the deceased, not the mourning. It&#8217;s easy to see why this particular piece has become a popular [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/mary-frye-do-not-stand-at-my-grave-and-weep_2009_11_24/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; If I Should Die</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-if-i-should-die_2009_10_29/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-if-i-should-die_2009_10_29/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:41:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[If I Should Die]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1406</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I know, Dickinson again, but what can I say? She writes about death, grief, life, and loss like no one else. In this particular piece, Dickinson writes with a twinge of sarcasm about how &#8220;business&#8221; will always continue when life does not. It would appear she&#8217;s not a fan of &#8216;stocks&#8217;, &#8216;Trades&#8217;, and &#8216;Commerce&#8217;. At [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-if-i-should-die_2009_10_29/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>John Donne &#124; For Whom the Bell Tolls</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/john-donne-for-whom-the-bell-tolls_2009_10_23/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/john-donne-for-whom-the-bell-tolls_2009_10_23/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:35:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Whom the Bell Tolls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Donne]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1361</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The following poem is one that has made an impression on popular culture since it was penned in 1624. The author, John Donne, originally wrote it as a work of prose in his &#8220;Devotions upon Emergent Occasions,&#8221; but it was later formatted into lines of poetry, as seen below. Since then, the work has been [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/john-donne-for-whom-the-bell-tolls_2009_10_23/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; A Clock Stopped</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-a-clock-stopped_2009_10_10/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-a-clock-stopped_2009_10_10/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:55:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Clock Stopped]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1329</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even though the subject matter of Emily Dickinson&#8217;s poetry is often dark, the use of imagery and metaphor in her prose is extraordinary, and Dickinson&#8217;s metaphors for death are consistently insightful and intriguing. For instance, in the poem below, she compares death to the stopping of clock that &#8220;would not stir for Doctors&#8221; and &#8220;quivered [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-a-clock-stopped_2009_10_10/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Walt Whitman &#124; O Captain! My Captain!</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/walt-whitman-o-captain-my-captain_2009_09_28/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/walt-whitman-o-captain-my-captain_2009_09_28/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:59:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Abraham Lincoln]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[O Captain My Captain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Walt Whitman]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1270</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps one of the most well-known poems in American history, popularized in modern culture by its reference during the dramatic climax of the movie Dead Poets Society, Walt Whitman&#8217;s &#8220;O Captain! My Captain!&#8221; is a metaphor regarding President Abraham Lincoln&#8217;s assassination. As a metaphor, the poem has been used to honor other great leaders as well, and can [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/walt-whitman-o-captain-my-captain_2009_09_28/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; Memorials</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-memorials_2009_09_21/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-memorials_2009_09_21/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:17:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Memorials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[objects of remembrance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In researching Emily Dickinson&#8217;s poems concerning life and death, I came across this little piece on memorials &#8212; things by which we remember our loved ones. I thought Dickinson&#8217;s treatment of the subject was appropriate and very telling of those objects that may seem insignificant at first but become vastly sentimental when a loved one [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-memorials_2009_09_21/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thomas Moore &#124; The harp that once through Tara&#8217;s halls</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/thomas-moore-the-harp-that-once-through-taras-halls_2009_09_08/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/thomas-moore-the-harp-that-once-through-taras-halls_2009_09_08/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[9/11 grief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memorial poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 11]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Moore]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1219</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In light of the upcoming day of remembrance, I thought I&#8217;d share a poem pertaining to the events of September 11, 2001. I found this particular poem amidst a list of poems written specifically in response to 9/11. This particular poem, however, was written by Thomas Moore, an Irish lyricist who lived over 200 year [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/thomas-moore-the-harp-that-once-through-taras-halls_2009_09_08/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sri Chinmoy &#124; Is Death The End?</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/sri-chimnoy-is-death-the-end_2009_07_31/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/sri-chimnoy-is-death-the-end_2009_07_31/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:20:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Is Death The End?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sri Chinmoy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I read this poem on a web site early this week and haven&#8217;t stopped thinking about its profound perspective on death. What captured me about the text was the author&#8217;s unique use of three-fold parallels in the second and third stanzas. In addition to being beautifully written, the poem makes a number of thought-provoking assertions [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/sri-chimnoy-is-death-the-end_2009_07_31/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; Unable are the Loved to die</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-unable-are-the-loved-to-die_2009_07_24/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-unable-are-the-loved-to-die_2009_07_24/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unable are the Loved to Die]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1149</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I read this poem by Emily Dickinson today, I thought it a profound perspective on love and its enduring qualities. In the two short stanzas below, Dickinson contends that those who love and are loved will never die. While physical immortality is obviously not her assertion, I believe the kinds of immortality she implies [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-unable-are-the-loved-to-die_2009_07_24/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>W.H. Auden &#124; Funeral Blues</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/w-h-auden-funeral-blues_2009_07_12/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/w-h-auden-funeral-blues_2009_07_12/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:37:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Funeral Blues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hedli Anderson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[W.H. Auden]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I found the following poem today and was immediately drawn to its sense of deep mourning and loss. The verses are composed by W.H. Auden, a 20th century poet born in England and later residing in America. The poem was originally written for a play, but was later developed into a song that was premiered [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/w-h-auden-funeral-blues_2009_07_12/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Edgar Allan Poe &#124; To One Departed</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/edgar-allan-poe-to-one-departed_2009_06_30/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/edgar-allan-poe-to-one-departed_2009_06_30/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:08:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Edgar Allan Poe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memorial poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[To One Departed]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Edgar Allan Poe is poet who, despite his tendency toward dark subjects as his most well-known poems like &#8220;The Raven&#8221; or &#8220;The Bells&#8221; suggest, is recognized among the greatest of poets &#8212; oft recited, studied, and imitated. As I was perusing a catalogue of Poe&#8217;s works, I came across the following poem that speaks about [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/edgar-allan-poe-to-one-departed_2009_06_30/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-after-great-pain-a-formal-feeling-comes_2009_06_20/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-after-great-pain-a-formal-feeling-comes_2009_06_20/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:43:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grief support forum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=1044</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson remains one of the chief poets on the difficult subject of death. On one hand, her pieces can be dark or dismal; on the other, she can also speak hope and light into a verse. In addition to these, her works can enlighten the reader to experiences surrounding death or pain, as is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-after-great-pain-a-formal-feeling-comes_2009_06_20/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Charles Wesley &#124; If Death My Friend and Me Divide</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/charles-wesley-if-death-my-friend-and-me-divide_2009_06_12/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/charles-wesley-if-death-my-friend-and-me-divide_2009_06_12/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:29:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/charles-wesley-if-death-my-friend-and-me-divide_2009_06_12/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I read this poem in a book yesterday and thought it spoke profoundly to the hope that we may one day see our departed loved ones yet again. For all those who long deeply for a dear friend who has passed on, I hope these words will comfort your spirit: If death my friend and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/charles-wesley-if-death-my-friend-and-me-divide_2009_06_12/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; Because I Could Not Stop for Death</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-because-i-could-not-stop-for-death_2009_05_29/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-because-i-could-not-stop-for-death_2009_05_29/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 18:30:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bereavement poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valley of Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=986</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I came across this poem of Emily Dickinson&#8217;s today and thought it a brilliant observation concerning the untimeliness of death. Her opening line begins an insightful commentary on how we often busy about our lives unaware that tragedy could strike at any moment. And perhaps, on some level, we believe putting death out of our [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-because-i-could-not-stop-for-death_2009_05_29/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Emily Dickinson &#124; Farewell</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-farewell_2009_05_14/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-farewell_2009_05_14/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2009 04:09:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farewell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funeral poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=912</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Emily Dickinson is a giant. Not in reality, of course, but in the realm of funeral poetry, she stands a head above the rest. With literally hundreds of poems concerning life and death, Dickinson offers those who mourn comfort, understanding, and, perhaps most importantly, a way to meaningfully communicate a difficult subject. Though many of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/emily-dickinson-farewell_2009_05_14/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sam Bottoms, Actor</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/sam-bottoms-actor_2008_12_18/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/sam-bottoms-actor_2008_12_18/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:27:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Obituaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apolcalypse Now]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brain cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrity death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sam Bottoms]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=521</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hollywood actor, Sam Bottoms, best know for his role in Apocalypse Now as the surfer-turned-soldier Lance B. Johnson, died on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 of brain cancer.  He was just 53 years old.  Bottoms is one of four acting brothers who came onto the Hollywood scene in 1971, when he was just 15 years old, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/sam-bottoms-actor_2008_12_18/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bettie Page, Pin-up Icon</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/bettie-page-pin-up-icon_2008_12_12/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/bettie-page-pin-up-icon_2008_12_12/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:07:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Obituaries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1955 Playmate of the month]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bettie Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[betty page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrity death]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Legendary model Bettie Page passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2008 in Los Angeles after suffering from pneumonia three weeks ago which led to a heart attack. She was 85 years old.  Page&#8217;s curvy body and long black hair are recognizable by nearly everybody. She made regular appearances in men&#8217;s magazines throughout the 1950s and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/bettie-page-pin-up-icon_2008_12_12/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>He Only Took My Hand&#124; A Poem For Grieving Mothers</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/he-only-took-my-hand-a-poem-for-grieving-mothers_2008_07_24/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/he-only-took-my-hand-a-poem-for-grieving-mothers_2008_07_24/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:09:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death of a child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grieving parents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loss of A Child]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=342</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A mother endures a nearly incomprehensible amount of pain when they lose a child at any age.  Poetry, books and other forms of the written word are consider a powerful medium for helping women grieving for the loss of a child.  Many find that the comfort of words written by others who have endured the same [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/he-only-took-my-hand-a-poem-for-grieving-mothers_2008_07_24/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Celebration of Life &#124; A Poem To Remember</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/celebration-of-life-a-poem-to-remember_2008_07_23/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/celebration-of-life-a-poem-to-remember_2008_07_23/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:03:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrate life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[funeral poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[memorial poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=341</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Deborah Peabody reminds all of us that life should not just be celebrated when it starts and when it finishes, but throughout its journey.  This poem can serve as a great reminder to mourners at a funeral service to embrace their own lives and the lives of loved ones while we share our time together [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/celebration-of-life-a-poem-to-remember_2008_07_23/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Life Endures &#124; Poem Denies Death</title>
		<link>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/life-endures-poem-denies-death_2008_05_23/</link>
		<comments>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/life-endures-poem-denies-death_2008_05_23/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 May 2008 16:16:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death poem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sympathy poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/?p=281</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The notion that death is not the end is developed in Ralph Waldo Emerson&#8217;s matter-of-fact poem &#8220;All Return Again&#8221; about the continuance of life beyond what we call death.  Hope and believe that there is more and you will surely see your lost loved one in the people around you. All Return Again It is the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.valleyoflife.com/blog/life-endures-poem-denies-death_2008_05_23/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
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