Death, be not proud

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

By John Donne
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

Nature

As a fond mother, when the day is o'er,
Leads by the hand her little child to bed,
Half willing, half reluctant to be led,
And leave his broken playthings on the floor,
Still gazing at them through the open door,
Nor wholly reassured and comforted
By promises of others in their stead,
Which, though more splendid, may not please him more;
So Nature deals with us, and takes away
Our playthings one by one, and by the hand
Leads us to rest so gently, that we go
Scarce knowing if we wish to go or stay,
Being too full of sleep to understand
How far the unknown transcends the what we know.

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

When I am dead, my dearest

When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

By Christina Rossetti
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

Music, when soft voices die

Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory—
Odours, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heaped for the beloved's bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.

By Percy Bysshe Shelley
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

A Reminiscence

YES, thou art gone! and never more
Thy sunny smile shall gladden me;
But I may pass the old church door,
And pace the floor that covers thee.

May stand upon the cold, damp stone,
And think that, frozen, lies below
The lightest heart that I have known,
The kindest I shall ever know.

Yet, though I cannot see thee more,
'Tis still a comfort to have seen;
And though thy transient life is o'er,
'Tis sweet to think that thou hast been;

To think a soul so near divine,
Within a form so angel fair,
United to a heart like thine,
Has gladdened once our humble sphere.

By Anne Bronte
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

Crossing the Bar

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

Warm Summer Sun

Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.
Green sod above,
 Lie light, lie light.
Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night. 

By Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
<a target="_blank" href="http://poetryfoundation.org/index.html">The Poetry Foundation</a>

It can be so hard to face the new year without your loved one, but the love of family and friends can carry you through.

There will be an empty chair at the holiday table this year, but it will be filled with loving memories.

Take comfort in knowing that now you have a special guardian angel to watch over you.

Grief can be so hard during the holidays, but our special memories help us cope. Remembering you and your loved one this holiday season.

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

As the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life's routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends.

Randy we will miss you at the track. You were a wondewrful person to work with we all will miss you

We love and miss you Big Randy may you stand tall in heaven and shine down on us we love you and miss you dearly

we were all shocked to here of your passing and some of us are just finding out we will miss you dearly Big Randy we love you

We will miss you on the backside of the track you were really great with them horses it will not be the same with out you here we love you and miss you

Randy may you walk and rest in peace with the Lord we will miss you

May you rest in peace with your family in heaven we love you and miss you dearly

May you rest in peace my friend we love you and miss you!!!!!!!

May you walk with God in peace my friend we miss you

May you be at peace alway and walk with the Lord your family and friends miss you dearly

My you rest in peace with the Light of the Lord shinning on you we miss you Randy

rest in peace Randy we miss you dearly my friend

Randy may you be at peace my friend we miss you

may you rest in peace my friend we miss you

May you rest in peace in Gods hands my friend you will be miss dearly

Randy you were a very dear friend and we miss you very much God Bless you and my you rest in peace
             Angela & Brandon Shoafstall

you will be dearly miussed my friend we love you

we will miss you Big Randy you are priceless

RIP BIG RANDY!!!! You got to go home with your momma and daddy Thanks June for being a real friend!! You are priceless and we all will miss him dearly you were there with him til the end God Bless you
                                                                       Hillary Hartman

It's hard to believe you have been gone almost a month I miss you and Thanksgiving wasn't the same without and Christmas is right a round the corner I wish you was here I miss you more and more everyday but I am at peace with myself knowing you are watching over me I Love you Randy and miss you dearly Thank you for being there for me my horse Brazillian Swinger when we needed you I Love you Randy

We miss you Randy very dearly
                                           Curtis Clark

we all were glad to meet you Randy you were like family and you loved my granddaughter so much. June loved you so much and is missing you dearly
                                                    Jean Thompson
                                                    Ricky Howell
                                                    Phyillis Rogers

May you rest in peace with God

   Tim Martin & Martin Racing Stables

My you walk with the Load my friend I was glad to meet you, you will be dearly missed by all

Randy you were a very special person to us all here at Prairie Meadows and the news of your death was shocking to us all we will miss you dearly here at Prairie Meadows here in Altoona Iowa your friends here on the backside 
                   The Stable Gate Security Prairie Meadows Altoona Iowa

You will be dearly miss you were a dear friend and a good worker
                                    Ray & Sherri Tracey & Ray Tracey Racing Stables

Randy it was great to know you and you were a wonderful person I enjoyed have you work for me and we loved you very much we will miss you dearly
                                                            Hiliary & Chris Hartman
                                                                          &
                                                               Hartman Racing

Randy you were a hard worker and loved very much by Brian & I and you will be dearly missed by all...
                                         Stacy & Brian House

Randy My daughter June loved you so much it was an honor to finely get to meet you you were a good man and will be dearly missed by all

I have so many memories of you Randy when we went to down town Des Moines we had so much fun working at the track you will be dearly missed Prairie Meadows Race in Altoona Iowa was our place thats where we met over five years ago I Love you and miss you so much...

OBITUARY

Randy Joseph Ponthier

March 11, 1964 – November 10, 2012

Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home & Park

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