Gone From My Sight
"Gone From My Sight", also known as the "Parable of Immortality" and "What Is Dying" is a poem (or prose poem) presumably written by the Rev. Luther F. Beecher (1813–1903), cousin of Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
At least three publications credit the poem to Luther Beecher in printings shortly after his death in 1904.
However, it is often attributed to Henry Van Dyke, probably due to his name appearing as the author in a widely distributed booklet by award winning end of life educator Barbara Karnes, RN entitled "Gone from My Sight: The Dying Experience." This "little blue book" is the original, and remains the most widely used, patient/family educational booklet on the signs of approaching death. It has been in print continuously since 1985 and has sold over 40 million copies. Hospice and Home Health agencies distribute this booklet to educate families of patients nearing the end of life. It is also often read at funerals and memorial services.
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