Haiku About Evening and Night

63 poems from the 18 issues of 50 Haikus

Evening haiku risk the oldest cliche in poetry, the sunset, and the poets here get around it by changing the noun. B.M. Ward lets the sun set GENTLY TO THEIR BACKS over A FIELD OF MOTIONLESS WINDMILLS, so that the sky is a stage and the machines are an audience. Lela Marie de la Garza turns it into a dessert: CLOUDS WHIPPED INTO CREAM STREAKED WITH CHERRY, LIME, AND PEACH. Tyson West uses a vapor trail, a PINK NEEDLE SHOOTING INTO HEAVEN'S DEEP BLUE VEIN, and for a moment the sky is a body.

R K Chowdary does it without a single comparison. The LIGHT OF PARADISE is slowly disappearing THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF WEST, and the last phrase makes the horizon into a house the light is leaving. Dusk, in these poems, is the hour when the sky tries on other identities.

When the light is strange

Hilde Kiernan places the NORTHERN LIGHTS over SAND AND SALT, and the final line turns cold with A DEAD WORLD. The beauty is described so that you feel the lack of anyone to see it. A.J. Huffman moves the night indoors, where SHADOWS DRIP FROM CEILING FAN, the nighttime of the sleepless.

Night as sleep

Rachel Blackbirdsong carries the hour into a dream of horses that pummel the pillows, and the feathers FALL LIKE CLOUDS. The night here is mostly bedding and hooves, and the cloud simile belongs to the pillow as much as to the sky. Evening and night in haiku are also about what happens indoors.

The moon as a lantern

Mahima Giri has DARK BRANCHED SILHOUETTES that PLAY HIDE AND SEEK with the moon, which the poem calls a lantern for the earth. The children’s game gives the poem a light touch, and the lantern gives it a job.

Why so many comparisons

Evening is a light that changes quickly, and every poet is trying to catch it before it goes. A comparison is the fastest tool. It is also a good test. If you can swap the sunset for a dessert, a needle or a window, then the poem has found something the word sunset could not.

63 poems

A FIELD OF MOTIONLESSWINDMILLS- SUN SETSGENTLY TO THEIR BACKS
BM Ward
Issue #1, page 73

SUNSET HAIKU

CLOUDS WHIPPED INTO CREAMSTREAKED WITH CHERRY, LIME, AND PEACHSWIRLING THROUGH AMBER WINE
Lela Marie De La Garza
Issue #4, page 23

PINK NEEDLE

SUNSET VAPOR TRAILPINK NEEDLE SHOOTING INTOHEAVEN'S DEEP BLUE VEIN
Tyson West
Issue #5, page 37

TWILIGHT

LIGHT OF PARADISESLOWLY DISAPPEARING THROUGHTHE WINDOWS OF WEST
R K Chowdary
Issue #4, page 79

NORTHERN LIGHTS

NORTHERN LIGHTSSTILL DANCE ABOVE SAND AND SALT-A DEAD WORLD
Hilde Kiernan
Issue #10, page 43

BEYOND EYE'S LID

SHADOWS DRIP FROM CEILINGFAN, MEMORIESOF INSOMNIA’S CURSE
A.J. Huffman
Issue #4, page 105
DARK BRANCHED SILHOUETTESPLAY HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE MOONLANTERN TO THE EARTH
Mahima Giri
Issue #1, page 91

LAST TUESDAY

DREAMS ABOUT HORSESPUMMELED MY PILLOWS. GOOSE FEATHERSFALL LIKE CLOUDS.
Rachel Blackbirdsong
Issue #5, page 57
ON THIS TWILIGHT SKY,HOKUSAI MIGHT HAVE PAINTEDTHOSE BLACK BIRDS FLYING
Judith Lechner
Issue #4, page 85
AUTUMN TWILIGHTMY PARENTS IN SILENCEON THE SWING
Ramesh Anand
Issue #2, page 27

LATE AUTUMN NIGHT

THE MOON HANGSLOW AS A RIPENING PEACH,SOON IT WILL BE PLUCKEDFROM A CHARCOAL SKY.
M.P. Carver
Issue #13, page 51
BLACKEST SUMMER NIGHTCLEAR LAKE TREMOLO ECHOESLOON PAIR ROMANCING
Bob Moreland
Issue #3, page 87
Show all 63 poems

ORION'S FIXED GAZE

ORION'S FIXED GAZEPIERCES THE DARKNESS-OUTRIGGER NIGHT WATCH
Jackie Maugh Robinson
Issue #9, page 59

RIPPLES

RIPPLES DISPERSINGON A TIDEPOOL EVENINGWHERE DROWNS THE SUNSET
Ross McCooey
Issue #2, page 43

OUR FRIENDS SAW THE BEGINNING

WE PLAYED TETHERBALLAT SUNSET'S RADIANT RISEFELT WITH COLORED LEAVES.
Frank Geurrandeno
Issue #2, page 55

STARS AND OWLS

STARS AND OWLSGROW FATBENEATH A STARVING MOON
Tyson West
Issue #2, page 87
DUSK. TONGUE EXTENDED,THE DOE FEEDS WHERE FINCHES FUSSEDUNDER MORNING SUN.
Roger Pfingston
Issue #2, page 101
MIDNIGHT, HALF-WAYTHROUGH, CARESSING,HER SIDE OF THE BED
Manik Sharma
Issue #3, page 101
SUMMER EVENINGSWEET NECTARINE JUICESSTAIN THE SKY
R. M. Rousseau
Issue #3, page 107

LONG SHADOWS

LONG SHADOWS BRING GENTLESANTUBONG SUNSETSMONSOON DAYS CAN WAIT
Colin W Campbell
Issue #6, page 69

IN MONSOON CLOUDS

IN MONSOON CLOUDSLONG SHADOWS FROM SKYVILLAHIDE FROM THE SUNSET
Colin W Campbell
Issue #6, page 79
LATE NIGHT REFLECTIONSYOUR RING SPARKLES IN MY PALMON ANY CLEAR NIGHT
Nells Wasilewski
Issue #6, page 93
YOUR TRANQUILITYDEEPER STILLAFTER SUNSET
David J Kelly
Issue #6, page 101

SACROSANCT

GEOMETRIC GIRLOBLIVION’S STARRY SKYMOORED TO NOTHINGNESS
Grace Black
Issue #7, page 17

IN HER ABSENCE

ON AN AUTUMN NIGHT,THE FIERY SUN GOD’S CLOAK BURNS.I WEAR SILK BOXERS.
Dane Miller
Issue #7, page 23

DREAMLESS SLEEP

NO CLOUDS IN THE SKYPEOPLE STAY AWAKE WONDERINGWHAT THEIR DREAMS WOULD BE
Kasha Nystrand
Issue #7, page 25

LADY NACHT

NIGHTS COLD AS DIAMONDSARE LIKE PAPER TIGERS: SOFT,GLOWING WITH WARM LIGHT.
Katherine Du
Issue #8, page 19
WANDERING GULLSHADOWY EVENING SHAKINGTHE SEA FATHER AWAY
Anna Cates
Issue #8, page 29
RIVERS OF PINK, ORANGESPLASHING OVER THE WHITE CLOUDSSWALLOWED BY DARKNESS
Robert Hansen
Issue #8, page 37

IT YIELDS HER ETHYL WITNESS

IT YIELDS HER ETHYL WITNESSTHIS CLIPPING OF STARSAND THE BOTTLE - ABSOLVING
Harley Lethalm
Issue #8, page 45

SAGEBRUSH RUSTLING

SAGEBRUSH RUSTLINGEVENING DESERT BREEZE RISINGSIDEWINDER STIRRING
Joseph Roberts
Issue #8, page 77
CRINOLINE WINGSTAKE HOSTAGE MY LAMPLIGHTLAZY AUGUST NIGHT.
Erin Castaldi
Issue #9, page 71

OAKS AND ELMS

OAKS CLOTHED IN LEAVES,ELMS UNCARING IN THEIR NUDITY--GRAY NIGHT WITH BLACK TREES
Michael Flanagan
Issue #9, page 75

EXPOSURE

NIGHT-THUNDER CLIPSTHE QUIET SHADOWS OF THE PEAK -LIGHTNING X-RAY
Ian Mullins
Issue #9, page 83
NIGHT STORMSEDUCTIVE—PERSIMMON
JR Vork
Issue #10, page 79

CITY SUNSET

GOLDEN, ORANGE THREADSON FLOATING GRAY CLOUDSSUNSET HOVERING.
Shasta Hatter
Issue #10, page 81

STARRY TWILIGHT

STARRY TWILIGHTA FALLEN PLUM SUCCUMBSTO MUSH
Anna Cates
Issue #11, page 15
MOVIE NIGHTFROM A HILLOCKSUNSET
Martha Magenta
Issue #11, page 31

HAIKU 378

THE WIND FROM NOWHERESHAKES A RED OAK’S KNOBBY LIMBSNIGHT IN APRIL’S HANDS
Robert J. Howe
Issue #11, page 33

OCEAN IN AIR

EVENING MIST CREEPSENDLESS VIEWS OF EERIE GLEAMLINGERING TILL DAWN.
Kate Alsbury
Issue #11, page 37
THE NIGHT, A SOFT GLOW,THE FIREWORKS EXPLODING.HOT SUMMER EVENING.
Connor Bjotvedt
Issue #11, page 77
RAIN FILLS THE STREETBRIGHT LAMP IN GRAY TWILIGHTON THE LAKE, A LONE COOT
Craig Kittner
Issue #11, page 79

APRIL HAIKU 1

SOMEHOW AT SUNSETNOT YET DEAD OR QUITE ALIVE,I CALL TO THE OWLS.
David Anthony Sam
Issue #11, page 83
SUNSET’S RAYS TURNOLD CONCRETE OVERPASSGOLDEN
Shasta Hatter
Issue #11, page 109
SUN LATE IN THE DAY -STRAIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUBUT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE
Mary Hill
Issue #12, page 17

EVENSONG

EVENSONGPEEL BACK THE LAYERSNIGHTFALL
Erin Castaldi
Issue #12, page 63

GHOST CRABS

GHOST CRABS SCURRY QUICKHUSKS LIT GREY BY BLANK MOONLIGHTHAUNTED TIDES GUSTING
Georgia Smith
Issue #13, page 18

SHADOWS SWALLOWING

SHADOWS SWALLOWINGCOPPER CANYON WALLSSEPTEMBER SUNSET
Kenneth Salzmann
Issue #13, page 48

SUMMER IN THE CITY

MOWN LAWN IN SUMMER NIGHTFALLFIREFLIES FROM ABOVEPATROL FOR VANDAL CRICKET
Stephen Gretzer
Issue #13, page 49

EVENING

HYPNOTIZED BY HUESMOLDERING ESSENCE OF LIFEBURNING UP SLOWLYCONSUMING YOUR LOVE FOR WARMTHPASSIONATE GLOW OF THE NIGHT
Grace Neff
Issue #13, page 50

EXHALE

NIGHT’S MEDITATIONMOONLIT FROSTED BREATH FLOWS OUTHAWKS INTO THE WIND
Matthew Cowles
Issue #14, page 11
ALMOST LIGHTWALKING AWAY FROM WORKTHIS SPRING EVENING
Shasta Hatter
Issue #14, page 20

WHITE FLORIDA BAY

SUNSET AT THE BAYWHERE FRESH AND SALT WATERS MEETUNION FORMS RIPPLES
Maria Theresa Dimacali
Issue #14, page 37

ONE FRIDAY NIGHT

WHEN THE NIGHT IS YOUNGOUR EYES SPARKLE LIKE THE STARSLAUGHTER FILLS THE AIR
Maria Theresa Dimacali
Issue #15, page 10

SUNSET IN SAN CLEMENTE

RED ORANGE SUN SETSTOUCHING THE SILVER WATERSWARM HUES WHICH CARESS
Maria Theresa Dimacali
Issue #15, page 11

RAIN AT SUNSET ON A LATE SPRING EVENING

LAST DROPS OF RAIN FALL,SHIMMERING IN THE SUNSET.BEGINNING AND END.
Brook Edwards
Issue #15, page 30

HAIKU FOR THE END OF SPRING

PETALS GLIDE TO EARTHLIKE WINGS WITHOUT A SWALLOWSHADOW AT SUNSET
Jacob Diver
Issue #15, page 42

TWILIGHT

TWILIGHT DROPPED THE SUNAND IT SHATTERED INTO STARSDAWN CLEANS UP THE MESS
Russell Spera
Issue #17, page 27
LIGHTS OFFLAKEA BLACK VELVET DRESS
JR Vork
Issue #18, page 9

A ‘LAWN’ HAIKU

EACH DUSK I WATERSKITTISH GRASS AND STUBBORN LOAMBY A WHEEL OF STARS
Carolyn Clark
Issue #18, page 11

A QUIET NIGHT

LIVING ROOM SNORING,A BIRD SINGS SOFTLY AT NIGHT,SWEET DREAMS FAMILY.
Danielle Shojaie
Issue #18, page 29

HAIKU #2

DECIPHER THE NIGHTRUB DREAMS BETWEEN YOUR FINGERSCODED MESSAGES
Timothy Mueller
Issue #18, page 34

SMALL HOURS

THE BEND IN MY ARM,STIFFENED BY THE STRETCH OF NIGHT,ACHES FOR YOUR YOUNG DAWN
Kara De Folo
Issue #18, page 50

Questions readers ask

Is a twilight haiku different from a night haiku?

They share a lot, but twilight poems are usually about change, with color and light moving, while night poems are usually about stillness or sleeplessness. This page holds both.

More themes to read

Moon and StarsSummerMorning and DawnPeace and StillnessLonelinessAll themes

Last reviewed November 2026. Poems are the work of the poets credited and link to their pages in the original issues.