Haiku About Peace and Stillness
The calm in these poems is of two kinds. One is found. Cynthia Sharp stands in the sun and says, THERE IS NOWHERE THAT I NEED TO BE
, and the poem stops there, with ONLY THE DESIRE
to stay. The other is made. Trisha Dash writes of SILENCING THE MIND
, acknowledging the present and controlling loud thoughts, three verbs of effort. The first poem lets peace happen. The second shows that it takes work.
Still life
Clarise Samuels sets a GREEN APPLE
on a newspaper with DUST FLOATING IN A SUNBEAM
, a still life in which the news is old and the light is current. Nancy Hatch Woodward arranges a CHAIR BY THE WINDOW
and brings in the scents of sun, rain and gardens, with THE EARTH IN A TEACUP
. Peace here is an arrangement of objects that need nothing from the viewer.
Solitude as a place
Katherine Sukeforth walks into a FOREST MAZE
where SPARKLING WATER
is TRICKLING DOWN
, and the poem ends by naming the destination: PLACE OF SOLITUDE
. Melissa Laussmann sits with SCENT OF LAVENDER
and steam rising from a teacup, A MISTY BLANKET
. David J. Kelly finds a tranquility that goes DEEPER STILL
after sunset. Peace, in these poems, is a place you step into or an hour that arrives.
44 poems
FOR ALL THE FLOWERS
THERE IS NOWHERE THAT I NEED TO BEONLY THE DESIRETO STAND OUT IN THE SUN
Issue #4, page 39
GREEN APPLE ON NEWSPAPER
GREEN APPLEON A NEWSPAPER;DUST FLOATING IN A SUNBEAM.
Issue #3, page 77
CHAIR BY THE WINDOW
CHAIR BY THE WINDOWSCENTS OF SUN, RAIN AND GARDENSTHE EARTH IN A TEACUP
Issue #17, page 47
MEDITATION
SILENCING THE MINDACKNOWLEDGING THE PRESENTCONTROLLING LOUD THOUGHTS.
Issue #14, page 47
IN THE FOREST MAZESPARKLING WATER TRICKLING DOWNPLACE OF SOLITUDE.
Issue #7, page 15
THE PRESENT
SCENT OF LAVENDERSTEAM RISES FROM MY TEACUPA MISTY BLANKET
Issue #15, page 54
YOUR TRANQUILITYDEEPER STILLAFTER SUNSET
Issue #6, page 101
SNOWFLAKES
SNOW FALLING SOFTLYA BLANKET OF COLD WONDERSILENCE ALL AROUND.
Issue #13, page 31
17-5
INFINITE PATIENCEAN INCHWORM MEASURES ITS WORLDONE HUMP AT A TIME
Issue #17, page 19
AUTUMN NIGHTHANDS REACHING DOWN FOR WATERSCOOP UP THE MOON
Issue #1, page 107
SHUTTING DOWN
FOUR WHITE WALLS AND LIGHTSHINING DOWN, TIRED SOUL THINKSOF ENDLESS QUIET.
Issue #1, page 53
KINDNESS SCORCHES
HIS HEART IS FRIGID:DANCING IN THE FLAMES,HE IS, AT LAST, FREE.
Issue #2, page 35
Show all 44 poems
WINTER GREEN
I TRAMP IN THE WOODS.MOSS VEILS TREES LIKE SOFT VELVET--LUSCIOUS COMFORTERS.
Issue #3, page 29
LIFE IN MEASURED CUPS
HAIKU BOOK AND TEA -TASTED DREAMS, SIPS OF CLEAN THOUGHT:PUREST REFRESHMENT.
Issue #3, page 75
AT LAST, THE RAIN STOPPEDSTOOD IN MY OWN REFLECTIONSKY BENEATH MY FEET
Issue #4, page 27
CHAOTIC CLOUDSCRASHING STARS AND GALAXIES—THE UNIVERSE AT PEACE
Issue #4, page 29
WALKING IN THE WOODSSUN DESCENDS IN SLATS OF LIGHT.INVISIBLE FENCE
Issue #4, page 33
OUT IN THE GARDENOF ZEN, A HUMMINGBIRD CHECKSFLOWERS FOR NECTAR
Issue #5, page 33
ONE STRAND OF ASPIDERS WEB FIDDLING INTHE MELLOW WIND
Issue #5, page 35
RIPPLES SPREADFROM THE TURNING WATERWHEEL –SPARROW SONG
Issue #5, page 73
WIND RIPPLES WATER
WIND RIPPLES WATERGRASSHOPPER FLOATING ON LEAFMUST STAY VERY STILL
Issue #5, page 75
WINTER BREEZESWAKE WITHINTHE SOUL IS REFRESHED
Issue #6, page 25
CRICKETS CHIRPING SONGBREEZES SIFTING THROUGH THE TREESTIME FOR REFLECTION.
Issue #7, page 11
CRISPY AND CRACKLINGSCENT OF COFFEE FILLS THE AIRMORNING CONTENTMENT.
Issue #7, page 13
PEBBLE
ANOTHER PEBBLE,IT FINDS IN THE COLD RIVER,FRIENDS AT THE BOTTOM...
Issue #7, page 49
BREEZE
I WAKE IN A DAZESENSING ITS BREEZE ON MY SKINTHEN I CLOSE MY EYES.
Issue #7, page 65
THE DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY
SNOW FALLS LIKE CANDYDUSTING OUR TONGUES IN CRISP WHITETHE WHOLE WORLD FEELS PURE
Issue #8, page 71
SEAGULLS
PEACEFULNESS BROKENSEAGULL’S RANCOROUS LAUGHTERUNDULATING WAVES
Issue #8, page 99
SUNSHINE
RAY OF PEACE SINGINGRAYS OF BLUE TRULY BRINGINGROSES OF SWEET AIR.
Issue #9, page 93
SERENITY
EARLY MORNING STROLLIMMERSED IN SERENITYFRESH AIR FILLS HER LUNGS
Issue #10, page 31
CUSP
INFANT DAUGHTER SLEEPINGA STILL PONDBEFORE THE PEBBLE DROPS
Issue #10, page 65
THE MOON
SLEEP INTO THE NIGHTTHE MOON WILL STAY AWAKESILENT SELFLESSLY
Issue #11, page 101
BLUE
BLUE HERON, DUCK POND.ROSE SKY DAWN. GLASS REFLECTIONS.ABSENT ITSELF, TIME PASSING.
Issue #12, page 67
HARMONY
PEACOCKS IN THE TREES,QUIET SUNDAY AFTERNOONCLOUDS HANGING LOW.
Issue #12, page 91
CONTENTMENT
CONTENTMENT KNOWS WELLA PEACE IN NEUTRALITYSWEET, UNSCENTED AIR
Issue #13, page 55
A LEAF PIROUETTESSPINNING, DANCING SILENTLYON A PLACID POND
Issue #13, page 57
EXHALE
NIGHT’S MEDITATIONMOONLIT FROSTED BREATH FLOWS OUTHAWKS INTO THE WIND
Issue #14, page 11
TRANQUILITY
THE MOONS REFLECTIONCASTS A CELESTIAL SHADOWOVER THE CALM BAY.
Issue #15, page 34
FISHING
FISHING WITH GRANDPA.QUIETLY WE WAIT FOR THEM.ALL DAY LONG WE WAIT.
Issue #16, page 17
LYING ON THE LAWN
LYING ON THE LAWNA BLADE OF GRASS IN MY MOUTH;SWEET AND BITTER LIFE
Issue #16, page 20
OCEAN BLUE
SOOTHING WAVES OF SOUNDCERULEAN TO THE EYEEARTH’S BEATING HEART
Issue #17, page 11
LUCIDITY
EMERALD MOSS BLANKETSTHE STREAM’S EDGE : : THE AFTERNOONSTILLS FOR STEADY RAIN
Issue #17, page 54
SUNDAY
SLOW SUNDAY MORNINGATHEISTIC HOMILYTHE FARMERS’ MARKET
Issue #17, page 55
BONKEI
HANDS MOLD CLAY LANDSCAPESCREATING WORLDS OF BEAUTYART AND MINDFULNESS
Issue #18, page 57
Questions readers ask
Is a peaceful haiku the same as a quiet one?
Not quite. A quiet haiku has little sound. A peaceful haiku has no pressure. Dust in a sunbeam makes no noise, but what makes it peaceful is that nothing is waiting for it.
Where does solitude belong?
Here and on the loneliness page, and the line between them is whether the quiet was chosen. In the peace poems the speaker is glad to be alone, and the forest, the teacup and the chair by the window are part of the pleasure.
More themes to read
LonelinessWinterFood and DrinkNatureMorning and DawnAll themes
Last reviewed November 2026. Poems are the work of the poets credited and link to their pages in the original issues.