poems about being alone

Being alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’re lonely. These poems present being alone as a balm, an opportunity, and even a gift. We hope you enjoy them.

This short poem is about how you can feel echoes of someone’s presence, even when you’re alone.

he left

he haunts her cells

when she spills a cup of tea
her body dodges a blow
that never comes,
holding each breath
as if it were her last

she exhales slowly
he left her
she is alone
and now she can
breathe

This short poem is about choosing to be alone.

duet

You sing do re, I sing mi,
it’s all about
me me me.

You sing fa, I sing so,
I’m solo now,
so so so.

You sing la, I sing ti,
I long to be
free free free.

You sing don’t go,
I sing must leave.

Duet not yet.

This short poem is about how time alone can help you dream.

the cog and the rose

A little silver cog fell off
a big, noisy machine,
and rolled down the hill.
Alone, shining in the sun,
she heard her own thoughts
for the first time.
She wanted to be
something that
could grow.

When they searched for her
in the lush, green valley,
they didn’t notice
the silver rose.

This short poem is about solitude, silence, and the absence of noisy expectations.

no one

No one is
yelling,
telling,
glaring,
staring,
judging,
begrudging.

She is alone.

This short poem is about the quiet, dimly lit moments just before the sun rises and the day begins.

before

she awakens
while they snore/
gently savoring
the time before
her little ones
will ask for more/
pierce her skin/
drink her core/
these quiet moments
underscore
the iron strength of
her love

This short poem is about the joy of being alone and free to set your own course.

singularity

She is alone.
A loner.
On her own.
A single singularity
drinking in the light.

This short poem is for women who enjoy being alone.

solitaire

They call her Solitaire,
a gem of a woman
who would
rather be
alone.

This short poem is about imagining the quiet yet breezy life of a shade tree.

tree

All she wanted to be
was a tall, shady tree/
growing alone
by a comfortable stone/
swaying in the breeze/
taking her ease/
a quiet highness
basking in the silence.

This short poem is about the allure (and terror) that walking alone holds for women.

in a dark wood

Beware/
take care/
wolves are there/
The woods are
dark/
dangerous/
forbidden/
And yet
she goes
alone/
into the dark/
around the park/
holding a weapon
‘lest any man threaten
her right to
walk the earth

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