Free Printable The Dash Poem | Official Guide – If you searched for a free printable The Dash poem, you are not alone. Families across the United States look for this poem when planning a funeral, writing an obituary, or wanting a copy to keep at home.
The catch is important: The Dash is copyrighted. Many websites advertise a “free printable PDF,” but most of those files are not authorized. This guide explains what the poem is, where you can read it legally, and which uses are actually free under the official license.
What “The Dash” Poem Is About?
The Dash was written in 1996 by American poet Linda Ellis. The poem uses the small line between the birth year and death year on a tombstone as a symbol for a person’s whole life. Its message is simple: what matters is not the dates, or the things we own, but how we live and love in the time in between.
The poem became widely known after it was read on a syndicated radio program. It is now one of the most requested readings at U.S. funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life. The original poem is owned and licensed by Southwestern Family of Companies. Linda Ellis still shares related work and a newer companion poem on her own site.
You can read the official, full text on the poem’s official website. That page is labeled a non-printable version, which means you may read it there but should not treat the webpage as a free download for framing or reprinting.
Read the official text here:
The Dash Poem official website
Why So Many “Free Printable” Pages Are a Problem?
A search for “free printable The Dash poem” turns up blogs, Pinterest pins, and template sites offering PDFs, Google Docs, and framed-style printables.
Those pages often:
- Copy the poem without permission
- Call a copyrighted work “free to download”
- Omit the required credit line
- Invite you to reprint or sell a design you do not have the right to use
U.S. copyright law still applies even when a poem is popular, shared at funerals, or easy to find online. Churches and families have received demand letters after reprinting The Dash in newsletters or programs without a license.
If your goal is a legal copy, start with the official license page instead of a random printable.
Official licensing rules:
The Dash poem licensing page
When a Free Printable Version Is Allowed?
The rights holder does grant several free, one-time licenses. These are the legitimate “free printable” uses for most American families.
1. Funeral or memorial program (one-time print)
You may print the full original poem once in a funeral or memorial service program for a loved one.
You must include this notice prominently:
“The Dash poem by Linda Ellis, © Southwestern Family of Companies, Used by Permission.”
You may not modify the poem. You may not sell the program or reuse the same layout as a general printable.
2. Print or online obituary (one-time)
The same free, one-time print license covers a printed or online obituary for a loved one, with the same credit line.
3. Non-monetized memorial video
You may recite the poem or show it in print inside a memorial video that is not monetized, again with the official notice.
4. Live recitation
You may read the poem aloud at a funeral, memorial, tribute, or other ceremony at no charge. During the reading, state that the poem was written by Linda Ellis. Recording that reading for sale or ad-supported posting needs a separate license.
5. Headstone or grave marker (personal use)
There is also a free personal license to use the poem or an excerpt on a headstone, gravestone, monument, or grave marker for a loved one. Monument companies that want to sell this as a product must request their own license.
Those five uses are the official answer for people who type “free printable The Dash poem” while planning a service.
Free Printable The Dash Poem | Official Guide
What Is Not Free?
These uses are not covered by the free licenses and need permission first:
- A general home printable to frame and keep
- A downloadable wall-art PDF shared on a blog or Facebook group
- Greeting cards, canvases, mugs, or other products you design yourself
- Church newsletters, school packets, or websites that keep the poem posted
- Modified or “personalized” versions of the original poem
- Monetized videos or commercial recordings
“Downloadable prints” are listed on the official site as a use that requires a license request. Turnaround is about four weeks.
Official Places to Get a Copy
Use these sources only. They are the current, authoritative pages.
1. Official poem page (read online)
thedashpoem.com
Full text, marked non-printable. Best place to copy the wording carefully for a licensed funeral program.
2. Official license page (free funeral print rules)
thedashpoem.com/licensing
Lists every free license, the required credit line, and the form for other uses.
3. Official Live Your Dash store (licensed products)
Southwestern Live Your Dash shop
Licensed cards, reminder cards, bookmarks, canvas, and related items. These are paid products, not free printables, but they are authorized.
4. Author’s site
lindaellis.life
Linda Ellis’s site includes the original poem, her story, speaking and writing services, and a newer 2024 poem, The Dash Between. She notes that the original Dash is now owned by Southwestern Family of Companies.
That is four official links. Avoid extra “free PDF” sites that cannot show permission.
How to Make a Legal Funeral Printable in the U.S.?
If you need a program insert this week, use this checklist:
- Open the official poem page and use the full original wording. Do not rewrite lines.
- Set the poem in your program at a readable size (11–14 point is typical for funeral booklets).
- Add the required notice under the poem, in a font large enough to read: The Dash poem by Linda Ellis, © Southwestern Family of Companies, Used by Permission.
- Print only for that one service.
- If a funeral home wants to keep a template on file for other families, they should request a blanket license on the official licensing page.
Letter-size (8.5″ x 11″) and half-fold booklet pages both work. Cream or white cardstock is common in U.S. funeral homes. Keep decorations simple so the required credit line stays visible.
If You Want a Copy to Frame at Home
A framed copy for your wall is a commercial-style print use, not a free funeral-program use.
Your legal options are:
- Buy a licensed card or canvas from the official store
- Submit a license request for a downloadable print
- Support the author through her own site and shop offerings, and confirm the listing covers the original poem or a different work she controls
Third-party Etsy listings that sell “The Dash” as a cheap instant download are not automatically licensed. Check whether the seller has permission before you pay.
Related Searches This Page Also Covers
People looking for a free printable The Dash poem often also search for:
- The Dash poem by Linda Ellis printable
- The Dash funeral poem free download
- Live Your Dash poem printable
- The Dash poem PDF for obituary
- Can I print The Dash poem for a memorial service
The short answer for each is the same: you may print it once in a funeral program or obituary with the official credit line. A general free PDF for any use is not offered on the official site.
Brief FAQ
Is The Dash poem public domain?
No. It is protected by U.S. copyright and is owned by Southwestern Family of Companies.
Is there an official free PDF I can download and frame?
No official free framing PDF is offered. The official website text is labeled non-printable. Free print use is limited to the one-time funeral, memorial, obituary, and related personal uses listed above.
Can a funeral home in the United States print it?
Yes, for a specific loved one’s program under the free one-time license, with the required notice. Homes that want a reusable template should apply for a blanket license.
Can I post the full poem on my blog or Facebook memorial page?
A one-time online obituary is allowed with the credit line. Keeping the full poem on a blog or public page is not covered by the free licenses and needs a request.
Who should I credit?
Credit Linda Ellis as the author. For print and video uses under the free license, use the exact Southwestern Family of Companies notice.
Where should I go first?
Start at thedashpoem.com to read the poem, then use the licensing page before you print.