Haiku About Loneliness

35 poems from the 18 issues of 50 Haikus

Loneliness haiku count what is missing. Brandon Barrows reflects, at the table, on THE WASTE OF COOKING FOR ONE, and the poem opens on the words DINING ALONE. The loss is arithmetical, and the poem counts it at the stove. Lianne Kamp turns the problem around. A LONE TREE is ADRIFT ON THE LAKE, and the sad party is the forest, which is PINING. The loneliness belongs to those left behind.

Isaac Eustice writes of a LONELY WATCHTOWER where the years of waiting BECAME A TEMPLE. The last word changes the poem. Waiting, over time, has become worship, and loneliness has taken on a purpose.

Windows and distance

Sarah Gregory watches the world through an EYELESS WINDOW REFLECTION while DEATH RATTLES NEXT DOOR. Brandon Barrows returns with the moon, SO CLOSE, EARTH'S CHILD LOOMING LARGE, and a reach that is SO SMALL. Eric G. Müller closes the day: the speaker FOLDS HIS GLASSES and TURNS OFF LAMP, a poem built from a bedtime routine. Anne Mikusinski sets a DIMLY LIT ROOM where a violin sighs softly, MARKING ALONE TIME. The music is the only company, and the last phrase names what the clock is measuring.

35 poems

DINING ALONEREFLECTING ON THE WASTEOF COOKING FOR ONE
Brandon Barrows
Issue #5, page 67

SEPARATED

LONE TREEADRIFT ON THE LAKETHE FOREST IS PINING
Lianne Kamp
Issue #11, page 107

OUTPOST

LONELY WATCHTOWER:THE YEARS WAITING WITHIN YOUBECAME A TEMPLE.
Isaac Eustice
Issue #15, page 17
SO CLOSE THE MOONEARTH'S CHILD LOOMING LARGESO SMALL MY REACH
Brandon Barrows
Issue #5, page 69

ISOLATION

SILENTLY STARE OUTEYELESS WINDOW REFLECTIONDEATH RATTLES NEXT DOOR
Sarah Gregory
Issue #17, page 13
HE FOLDS HIS GLASSESPUTS THEM DOWN AND TURNS OFF LAMPSINKS INTO DARK HOLE
Eric G. Müller
Issue #1, page 51

SATURDAY NIGHT

A DIMLY LIT ROOMA VIOLIN SIGHS SOFTLYMARKING ALONE TIME.
Anne Mikusinski
Issue #14, page 17

SO MUCH MOVES

I AM WATCHING YOU TALK:SO MUCH MOVES BEFOREYOUR MOUTHOPENS
William Waters
Issue #13, page 10
WALKING IN PUDDLESTIME I HAVE AWAY FROM YOULIKE SHARP TIPPED RAIN DROPS
David Hutt
Issue #4, page 75

THE FORGOTTEN ONE

INSIDE HIS OWN WORLDIDEAS AND FACES SWIRLEDTHE CLOCK TICKS--A BLUR
Maria Theresa Dimacali
Issue #16, page 11
LONE SWAN, HALF A HEARTFORSAKEN DOWN IN THE BOGWINTER HEARTLESS AS DEATH
J.C. Elkin
Issue #1, page 57
ABANDONED FIELDS WHEREONLY WINDS AND THORNS WILL RIDEHOST THE SILENT RAIN
Mariya Koleva
Issue #1, page 71
Show all 35 poems
EVER MOVING CLOUDSOBSCURE THE NIGHT OF FULL MOONSTILL, DEEP MOODS SHIVER
Tammy T. Stone
Issue #3, page 31
HORSEHIDE AND STRING, WRITHEEMPTY ON THE GRASSY FIELD.THE BALL IS LONG GONE
Bobby Aldridge
Issue #4, page 57
NAPPING IN THE CLEAN LAUNDRYWISHING THERE HAD BEEN CHILDRENTHE QUIET OF THE SNOW HAVING FALLEN
Cynthia Sharp
Issue #4, page 67
VAPOROUS LONGINGFROM THE DAY’S CREVICES SEEPSELUDES EVICTION
Genevieve Fitzgerald
Issue #4, page 97

PUBLIC LIBRARY

FIRST SCENT OF JASMINE,FAINT AND CERTAIN—WHOM TO TELL?
Brian Glaser
Issue #5, page 91

THE LONGING PILOT

A PECK ON MY WRIST,LONGING FEATHERS AND NESTLERNOW WINGLESS AND WHIST.
Frank Geurrandeno
Issue #5, page 101

UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY

THE CAKE SCOFFEDA CHILD’S CANDLEALONE ON THE TABLE
Tim Gardiner
Issue #6, page 35
SOLITUDE OF COLDCRUNCHING GROUND, BARREN AND BROWNRECOLLECTION'S FAITH
Mark L. Volz
Issue #6, page 57

CUBICLE

PARKED BETWEEN A CUBE VANAND AN SUV,ONE DUSTY OFFICE CHAIR.
Zoe Dickinson
Issue #6, page 75

IN HER ABSENCE

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

PRESENTS

UNFOLDING STARFISHLIKE REVERSE ORIGAMISCREAMING SILENTLY
John Reinhart
Issue #7, page 53

FALL THOUGHTS

RED-YELLOW FALL LEAVESDROP ON VACANT PARK BENCHESAUTUMN NOSTALGIA
Susan Gentry
Issue #10, page 95

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

YOUR FATHER FORGOTSO I GO OUT LATE AT NIGHTTHE MOON UNDERSTANDS
Candice Kelsey
Issue #10, page 97

MELANCHOLIC ANATOMY

I CARE FOR LITTLESTROLLING ACROSS SOME KNIFE EDGETHE DAYS ARE TOO LONG
Harris Coverley
Issue #13, page 21

THREE FLOWERS

THREE LONELY FLOWERSWHOSE ROOTS ENTANGLE AND STRANGLESORROW IN THEIR LOVE
Julianne Cook
Issue #13, page 22

ALOFT

FLOWERS FLOAT ON TOPOF GLASS HOLDING BACK THE DARKNESSSITTING UNDERNEATH
Jonathan Thorn
Issue #13, page 35
TOO MANY SHADOWSTHE PIGEON HOLES OF A LIFEFADING IN THE DUSK
Bruce Levine
Issue #14, page 13

DESPAIR

IT MUST PASS BY, FRIENDTHE GREY, SLOW PULL OF DESPAIRLIKE FLEETING STORM CLOUDS
Isaac Eustice
Issue #14, page 35

PERSONAL FAITH

HE WALKS HER TO CHURCHAND GIVES HER A KISS GOODBYETHEN STARTS BACK ALONE
Adam Sprague
Issue #15, page 51

YEARNING

LEAVES TURNED TO LIGHT BROWNMY FOOTPRINTS BURIED IN YOUWAITING BEHIND GLASS
Angelica Cabral
Issue #16, page 34

LONE GOOSE

GOOSE HONKING ALONEIN THE LAVENDER STILLNESSFOOTSTEPS CRUNCH ON ICE
Yash Seyedbagheri
Issue #16, page 47

FEAR

FEAR HIDES IN TWILIGHTWISDOM LURKS IN THE DARKNESSLONELINESS STANDS TALL
Joshua Carver
Issue #18, page 27

DEPRESSION

SHE IS FADING SLOWON THE EDGE OF EMPTINESSVOID OF EMOTION
Katie Stewart
Issue #18, page 33

Questions readers ask

Is loneliness the same as solitude?

In these poems, no. Loneliness lacks someone, and solitude has chosen the quiet. The peace and stillness page has the second kind.

Does a lonely haiku need a person in it?

Not always. A tree, a tower or a lit window can stand in, and the empty space around the object is part of the picture. The tower in Isaac Eustice’s poem has nobody in it at all, and the long wait still fills the space.

More themes to read

Peace and StillnessEvening and NightHeartbreakMoon and StarsHomeAll themes

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