Haiku About Loneliness
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
Issue #5, page 67
SEPARATED
LONE TREEADRIFT ON THE LAKETHE FOREST IS PINING
Issue #11, page 107
OUTPOST
LONELY WATCHTOWER:THE YEARS WAITING WITHIN YOUBECAME A TEMPLE.
Issue #15, page 17
SO CLOSE THE MOONEARTH'S CHILD LOOMING LARGESO SMALL MY REACH
Issue #5, page 69
ISOLATION
SILENTLY STARE OUTEYELESS WINDOW REFLECTIONDEATH RATTLES NEXT DOOR
Issue #17, page 13
HE FOLDS HIS GLASSESPUTS THEM DOWN AND TURNS OFF LAMPSINKS INTO DARK HOLE
Issue #1, page 51
SATURDAY NIGHT
A DIMLY LIT ROOMA VIOLIN SIGHS SOFTLYMARKING ALONE TIME.
Issue #14, page 17
SO MUCH MOVES
I AM WATCHING YOU TALK:SO MUCH MOVES BEFOREYOUR MOUTHOPENS
Issue #13, page 10
WALKING IN PUDDLESTIME I HAVE AWAY FROM YOULIKE SHARP TIPPED RAIN DROPS
Issue #4, page 75
THE FORGOTTEN ONE
INSIDE HIS OWN WORLDIDEAS AND FACES SWIRLEDTHE CLOCK TICKS--A BLUR
Issue #16, page 11
LONE SWAN, HALF A HEARTFORSAKEN DOWN IN THE BOGWINTER HEARTLESS AS DEATH
Issue #1, page 57
ABANDONED FIELDS WHEREONLY WINDS AND THORNS WILL RIDEHOST THE SILENT RAIN
Issue #1, page 71
Show all 35 poems
EVER MOVING CLOUDSOBSCURE THE NIGHT OF FULL MOONSTILL, DEEP MOODS SHIVER
Issue #3, page 31
HORSEHIDE AND STRING, WRITHEEMPTY ON THE GRASSY FIELD.THE BALL IS LONG GONE
Issue #4, page 57
NAPPING IN THE CLEAN LAUNDRYWISHING THERE HAD BEEN CHILDRENTHE QUIET OF THE SNOW HAVING FALLEN
Issue #4, page 67
VAPOROUS LONGINGFROM THE DAY’S CREVICES SEEPSELUDES EVICTION
Issue #4, page 97
PUBLIC LIBRARY
FIRST SCENT OF JASMINE,FAINT AND CERTAIN—WHOM TO TELL?
Issue #5, page 91
THE LONGING PILOT
A PECK ON MY WRIST,LONGING FEATHERS AND NESTLERNOW WINGLESS AND WHIST.
Issue #5, page 101
UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY
THE CAKE SCOFFEDA CHILD’S CANDLEALONE ON THE TABLE
Issue #6, page 35
SOLITUDE OF COLDCRUNCHING GROUND, BARREN AND BROWNRECOLLECTION'S FAITH
Issue #6, page 57
CUBICLE
PARKED BETWEEN A CUBE VANAND AN SUV,ONE DUSTY OFFICE CHAIR.
Issue #6, page 75
IN HER ABSENCE
ON AN AUTUMN NIGHT,THE FIERY SUN GOD’S CLOAK BURNS.I WEAR SILK BOXERS.
Issue #7, page 23
PRESENTS
UNFOLDING STARFISHLIKE REVERSE ORIGAMISCREAMING SILENTLY
Issue #7, page 53
FALL THOUGHTS
RED-YELLOW FALL LEAVESDROP ON VACANT PARK BENCHESAUTUMN NOSTALGIA
Issue #10, page 95
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
YOUR FATHER FORGOTSO I GO OUT LATE AT NIGHTTHE MOON UNDERSTANDS
Issue #10, page 97
MELANCHOLIC ANATOMY
I CARE FOR LITTLESTROLLING ACROSS SOME KNIFE EDGETHE DAYS ARE TOO LONG
Issue #13, page 21
THREE FLOWERS
THREE LONELY FLOWERSWHOSE ROOTS ENTANGLE AND STRANGLESORROW IN THEIR LOVE
Issue #13, page 22
ALOFT
FLOWERS FLOAT ON TOPOF GLASS HOLDING BACK THE DARKNESSSITTING UNDERNEATH
Issue #13, page 35
TOO MANY SHADOWSTHE PIGEON HOLES OF A LIFEFADING IN THE DUSK
Issue #14, page 13
DESPAIR
IT MUST PASS BY, FRIENDTHE GREY, SLOW PULL OF DESPAIRLIKE FLEETING STORM CLOUDS
Issue #14, page 35
PERSONAL FAITH
HE WALKS HER TO CHURCHAND GIVES HER A KISS GOODBYETHEN STARTS BACK ALONE
Issue #15, page 51
YEARNING
LEAVES TURNED TO LIGHT BROWNMY FOOTPRINTS BURIED IN YOUWAITING BEHIND GLASS
Issue #16, page 34
LONE GOOSE
GOOSE HONKING ALONEIN THE LAVENDER STILLNESSFOOTSTEPS CRUNCH ON ICE
Issue #16, page 47
FEAR
FEAR HIDES IN TWILIGHTWISDOM LURKS IN THE DARKNESSLONELINESS STANDS TALL
Issue #18, page 27
DEPRESSION
SHE IS FADING SLOWON THE EDGE OF EMPTINESSVOID OF EMOTION
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.