Colleen Allen - the Hertfordshire Celebrant

I am delighted to be able to bring along my registered PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog, Purdy <3

Purdy is a female silver poodle who belonged to my mother (Molly) before she died in 2016. Purdy brought untold pleasure to my mum and provided a fantastic and responsive companio...

Loss of a Parent / Family Member through Suicide

The loss of this

.Beautiful mind.

.Unplanned.

You entered a war

You did not

.Understand.

Fought tirelessly

Bare knuckle

.Life fighter.

Tried hard to hold on

Grip tighter

.Tighter.

For fear

They may think

You felt no love

.At all.

You str...

(Loss of a child & sister)

Eternal the love

YOU rocked in my body,

Nestling

soul to soul

touching my core

creating

my mother role

your tiny beat

from heart to rhythm

of

tiny feet

navigating womb

our little fish

swimming in a body of love

 our wish

of family.

you DID

sweet little preciou...

Allow me if I may

to reframe this junction

Let me be heard right now,

not silenced of function

immortal in life

in love with living

Artist, philo-sopher

committed to giving

Explored the edge of mystery,

Infused with culture and history

In life - absorbed good energy

in death find...

I am currently writing life celebration services for 3 beautiful people whose full lives sadly met with the junction of death this month. At this fragile time, it is the most unique honour to be able to meet with a diverse range of families and friends, listen to their...

Arms open wide

Sweep to infinity

Reach out east 

Reach out west

Across the girdle of the earth

Searching

For you

Up and down the curve of the moon

North to South

Across oceans

and

The darkest corners

of earth

Lost

in dreams

I stagger

Naked

Legs melting

I see fragments of you

Slipping thr...

My body born you in

From a cup full of love

Spilling hope

From the second

we mixed the brew Of you

We were spinning.

Spinning with the wonder of two

and then three, you.

YOU

made our voices trill in vibrato

Joy

And we bored our friends

Commentating your sealed presence

A small moun...

Ask the Moon  

Will somebody ask the moon for me

 so that I may then know
Why those we love are swept away

from life that loved them so
Will someone speak in natures tongue

of why the wind does blow
For then perhaps we understand

where all our lost ones go
sweet sunshine sh...

I am extremely 'picky' about the organisations I associate myself with as celebrant, but I will champion The Natural Death Centre Charity daily. I am delighted to now be acknowledged within their website as a professional celebrant with integrity, who strictly abides b...

As a poet and spoken word artist - words provide the vein through which I help others (hopefully) and help myself too.

The following poem is an expression from my perspective as someone facing grief, so exposing myself from the other side of my funeral work. 

Writing poe...