Haiku About Love
The strongest love haiku here rarely use the word. Marie Lecrivain writes of WARM HANDS
that cradle the heart, and the last line adds only A LOTUS BLOOMS
. Nobody states a feeling. The reader gets a pair of hands and a flower and works out the rest, which is how a love haiku works best. The lotus, in many poems, stands for something rising out of mud, and here it rises out of tenderness.
Lorraine Cipriano borrows an old image, the red thread that ties people who are meant to meet, and writes RED STRING CONNECTS US
with OUR CRISSCROSSED STORIES
at the end. The legend does most of the lifting, and the poem’s contribution is the word crisscrossed, which makes fate look like a messy knot of two lives.
John Hawkhead gives love a job: the speaker chops wood while the other person’s words GROW SOFTER
, and the poem finishes with BURYING THE HATCHET
. The idiom is literal and the repair is literal: an argument eases while work gets done. Few poems explain so well why couples quarrel in kitchens and mend in woodsheds.
Rose Mary Boehm shows love as a flattering angle. FROM THE TIME THEY MET
the man in this tiny story sees only THE BEAUTY HE SAW WHEN SHE HELD UP THE MIRROR
. It reads as a quiet joke about devotion, and a kind one. It is also a small case of how love poems are often written by the one who is looking, and what that person sees is part of the portrait.
Later love and love at a distance
David M. Harris starts after fifty: love pops up, EASING PAINS IN OLDER JOINTS
, and then reverses the benefit, REVIVING OLD ACHES
. David Hutt takes the other pole of the subject and finds absence in weather: TIME I HAVE AWAY FROM YOU LIKE SHARP TIPPED RAIN DROPS
. Robert Witmer’s NEWLYWEDS' TENT
brings in an audience, since the poem puts ALL EARS
outside and ends on a fawn, the only one listening. The newlyweds are a world away from Harris’s speaker, past fifty, and Hutt’s missing partner is a world away from both. Hutt’s simile is the sharpest of the group. Rain with sharp tips stings, and so does an afternoon with nobody to share it.
59 poems
WARM HANDSCRADLE MY HEARTA LOTUS BLOOMS
Issue #1, page 67
OF JAPANESE LEGEND
RED STRING CONNECTS USDETERMINES SUCH TIMELESS LOVEOUR CRISSCROSSED STORIES
Issue #10, page 83
HER WORDS GROW SOFTERAS I CHOP THROUGH FIREWOODBURYING THE HATCHET
Issue #3, page 59
FROM THE TIME THEY METHE HAD EYES ONLY FOR THE BEAUTYHE SAW WHEN SHE HELD UP THE MIRROR.
Issue #1, page 109
LOVE POPS PAST FIFTYEASING PAINS IN OLDER JOINTSREVIVING OLD ACHES
Issue #3, page 63
WALKING IN PUDDLESTIME I HAVE AWAY FROM YOULIKE SHARP TIPPED RAIN DROPS
Issue #4, page 75
NEWLYWEDS' TENTOUTSIDE ALL EARSA FAWN
Issue #3, page 99
HOME
YOU REST YOUR HAND ON MINE,WARM LIKE A FLAME.I CANNOT MOVE
Issue #2, page 65
OUR LOVE TREMBLESMOONLIGHTON THE RIVER
Issue #5, page 109
HOW THEY FIGHTOLD COUPLE WHO CAN'TREMEMBER
Issue #2, page 57
EVERY LINE
YOUR SKIN A SONNETI READ EVERY LINE SLOWLYUNTIL MORNING LIGHT
Issue #5, page 83
TEA
SHE DRANK EVENING TEASTARS IN CUP HER SWEETNESSMOON HER CREAM
Issue #3, page 91
Show all 59 poems
MIDWEST MIDSUMMER
FIREFLY IDEASREFLECT ON MY STUNNED PUPILS –THIS IS WHAT LOVE IS
Issue #12, page 55
METEOR SHOWERTHE ELUSIVE PROMISEOF A FIRST KISS
Issue #2, page 73
SONG OF THE MUSE
SONG FELL FROM HIS LIPS ~AND LANDED UPON HER SKIN ~WHERE HE LONGED TO BE
Issue #1, page 25
TRANSPARENT HEART
YOUR TRANSPARENCYUNDER THE MOON'S BRIGHTEST LIGHTMAKES MY HEART QUIVER
Issue #1, page 99
WITH YOUR TENDERNESSHEARTACHE RECEIVES ITS LAST RITESUNEARTHED, I RISE, GREEN
Issue #2, page 71
ROUGH WAVESFINDING SANDS IN THE BED20TH ANNIVERSARY
Issue #2, page 75
LIKE YOU I WHY:WHEN EVEN SCRAMBLED I’MGET ME YOU
Issue #3, page 57
INTOXICATIONCANDLELIGHT AND CLASPED HANDSFLOAT IN MY WINE GLASS
Issue #4, page 17
FEBRUARY DAYFORBIDDEN LOVE ENCOURAGED…ONLY IN MY MIND
Issue #4, page 81
VALENTINE'S DAYONE MAN BUYS TWO BOUQUETS OFRED ROSES...
Issue #5, page 17
ANNIVERSARY
HER SCARS ARE ITCHING.THE ANNIVERSARY LOOMS;NO CELEBRATION.
Issue #5, page 45
HEARTFELT
NO OBJECT OF LOVE,NO ONE SO DEEP IN MY HEARTAS DREAMS’ DEVOTIONS
Issue #5, page 105
MELTINGUNDER YOUR STEADY GAZEMY COOL EXTERIOR
Issue #6, page 19
FILL MY EMPTINESSWITH YOUR LIQUID COMPASSIONFLOOD ME WITH YOUR LOVE
Issue #6, page 43
THIS ANCIENT PEBBLESMOOTHER WITH EACH RAIN,SHINING LIKE YOUR EYES
Issue #6, page 73
LATE NIGHT REFLECTIONSYOUR RING SPARKLES IN MY PALMON ANY CLEAR NIGHT
Issue #6, page 93
IN HER ABSENCE
ON AN AUTUMN NIGHT,THE FIERY SUN GOD’S CLOAK BURNS.I WEAR SILK BOXERS.
Issue #7, page 23
TURBULENCE
A SLIGHT TURBULENCE -BEATING MUCH FASTER MY HEARTABOVE YOUR CITY
Issue #8, page 53
MOUNTAIN STREAM
SPARKLING WATER PURLSOVER AND AROUND SMOOTH STONESA LOVING CARESS
Issue #8, page 101
HEARTBEAT
THE HEART BEATS OF LOVEWITH MURMURS OF EXCITEMENTTHE PUREST OF CARE
Issue #10, page 91
LATE
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATESHE PONDERS HER CHOICE OF MANNOBODY KNOWS HIS ANGST
Issue #10, page 93
LEGACY OF ROOTS
TREES REMINDING MEHOW LOVE GROWS IN EACH OF US,LIKE LEAVES ON A BRANCH.
Issue #11, page 51
BEYOND FOREVER
BEYOND FOREVERYOUR SMILE A ROSEBLOOMS
Issue #11, page 73
OF LOVE
NO COOL STILL WATERSON A BURNING SUMMER DAYCOULD DESCRIBE THIS THING
Issue #12, page 57
THREE FLOWERS
THREE LONELY FLOWERSWHOSE ROOTS ENTANGLE AND STRANGLESORROW IN THEIR LOVE
Issue #13, page 22
KNOWING THAT FINITE EXISTS
WE LOVE TOO WELLTOO CLEARLY, TOO BRUTALLY, AND HONESTLY.CLINGING TO FOAM THAT REMAINS ADRIFT.
Issue #13, page 34
THE MARRIAGE VASE SITSNOW UNDECIDEDAS TO WHAT IT SIGNIFIES
Issue #13, page 39
EVENING
HYPNOTIZED BY HUESMOLDERING ESSENCE OF LIFEBURNING UP SLOWLYCONSUMING YOUR LOVE FOR WARMTHPASSIONATE GLOW OF THE NIGHT
Issue #13, page 50
SLEEP WITH ME
YOUR BREATH ON MY EARI FEEL YOU TRACING MY SPINEDREAMS TRAVEL QUICKLY
Issue #13, page 53
LATE EVENING
DREAMY AUTUMN EYESCOFFEE WITH YOU AND CRISP LEAVESA LOST MEMORY
Issue #14, page 27
RIVER
RUSHING RIVER GIRL,NOW FALLING IN, GETTING WET,PULLING ME WITH YOU.
Issue #14, page 52
LATE SUMMER-NOCTURNE ON CRICKET'S WINGA WOMAN'S HEART SINGS
Issue #15, page 20
GOLDEN SUNRISE
GOLDEN SUNRISEWARM HANDDOG CIRCLES BACK
Issue #15, page 22
WINGS
FRIGID WINTERTIMEA PERFECT, LITTLE LOVE SOARSENJOYING THE GAME
Issue #15, page 29
SNOW IN SUMMER
“I DO NOT WANT YOU,”YOU SAY. THEN YOU PULL ME CLOSE.A SNOW IN SUMMER.
Issue #15, page 43
PERSONAL FAITH
HE WALKS HER TO CHURCHAND GIVES HER A KISS GOODBYETHEN STARTS BACK ALONE
Issue #15, page 51
RAINS BEAT
RAINS BEAT UPON HERHE HOLDS OUT AN UMBRELLATHEIR FRIENDSHIP BLOOMING
Issue #16, page 16
LONGING
BEHIND DOUBTFUL EYESLIES THE TRUTH IN LONGINGTO REMAIN WITH YOU.
Issue #16, page 30
FIRST KISS
CHERRY ALMOND DROPSLICK A HONEYSUCKLE MOUTH,CRYSTALIZING STRENGTH.
Issue #16, page 32
RIPPLE EFFECT
A PAIR OF SWANS GLIDEACROSS THE MIRROR WATERSLOVE BLURS EVERYTHING
Issue #16, page 37
TELL ME A STORY
I DREAMT OF US THEREWHERE WE WHISPERED OF OUR PASTBY ROARING RIVERS
Issue #16, page 50
I WATCH
I WATCHMY LOVE WALKHOME, THE MOONA HOOK STRETCHINGTOWARDS HER LIPS.
Issue #16, page 55
NIGHT STORMS
UNDER THE SAME RAINYOUR HEART STILL BEATS IN MY EARYET SILENCE PREVAILS.
Issue #17, page 14
HANDS
HANDS TINGLEENVELOPE FEELS ELECTRICA LETTER FROM YOU
Issue #17, page 36
THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT
LOVE IS ETERNALTHOUGH THE MOON WAXES AND WANESTHERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT
Issue #18, page 14
WORDS FOR YOU
SPOKEN, UNSPOKEN,DESCRIPTIONS AND CONJECTURES-ALL MY WORDS ARE YOURS.
Issue #18, page 47
SWEET SECRET
BEFORE THE WEDDINGWHITE HYACINTHS BLOOM BRAVELYIN THE DARK GARAGE.
Issue #18, page 49
Questions readers ask
Does a love haiku have to be romantic?
No. Love here includes long marriages, family tension that gets fixed with a hatchet and a woodpile, and the ache of time apart. The test is whether a poem makes the feeling visible without naming it. The red string, the lotus and the firewood all work because they are objects a reader can picture before deciding what they mean.
Why do the best love haiku leave out the word love?
A haiku has room for one image. A hand on a hand or a stack of firewood is more convincing than a statement, because the reader supplies the feeling.
Is there a place for desire in a love haiku?
Yes, and the desire page treats it separately, with poems of first kisses, skin and longing. The poems on this page are mostly about the daily work of staying together. The two pages share a border, and a reader who likes one will probably like the other.
More themes to read
DesireHeartbreakFamilyHomeMemoryAll themes
Last reviewed November 2026. Poems are the work of the poets credited and link to their pages in the original issues.