Short Sad Poems

Short Sad Poems

Sad Short Poems about Life

Sometimes you don't need to write a lot to express a feeling. This category is for sad poems when just a few lines will do. Feelings are not complex. When we allow ourselves to feel them in a pure undiluted way, we often begin the process of releasing pent up sadness. When you want to tell the story and the reasons behind the feeling, that will often turn into a longer poem. Both of these styles of telling are equally valid. It is simply a matter of what needs to be expressed in the moment.

20 Short Sad Emotional Poems

1 - 20 of 20

  1. 1. The New Moon

    In Sara Teasdale's "The New Moon," the poet reflects on a day of hardship and struggle. Through the use of vivid imagery and personification, the poem portrays the day as a force that has physically and emotionally wounded her. However, amidst the bleakness, the poet discovers a glimmer of hope in the form of a delicate new moon. This celestial presence, described as a "maiden moon," brings beauty and inspiration, challenging bitterness and despair. Teasdale's skillful use of contrast and the moon's symbolism creates a sense of resilience and the power of finding solace in moments of darkness.

    Famous Poem

    Day, you have bruised and beaten me,
    As rain beats down the bright, proud sea,
    Beaten my body, bruised my soul,
    Left me nothing lovely or whole—

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 41
    • Favorited 3
    • Votes 11
    • Rating 4.27
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  3. 2. Fire And Ice

    A poem about the end of days, when the world will end by either fire or ice. "Fire and Ice" is one of Robert Frost's most popular poems. It was first published in 1920 in Harper's Magazine.

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    Some say the world will end in fire,
    Some say in ice.
    From what I've tasted of desire
    I hold with those who favor fire.

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    • Stories 3
    • Shares 2032
    • Favorited 72
    • Votes 1490
    • Rating 4.18
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    Robert Frost is a poet of great repute. It is not within our jurisdiction to comment on such a literary giant. However, in view of your invitation, I would say that he might have been in...

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  5. 3. How Could I Be So Lonely

    How could I be so lonely surrounded by so many?


    • By Cath Glasgow
    • Published by Family Friend Poems October 2009 with permission of the Author.

    How could I be so lost
    In a place I know so well?
    How could I be so broken
    In a family so together?

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    • Stories 14
    • Shares 3205
    • Favorited 161
    • Votes 3330
    • Rating 4.38
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    Featured Shared Story

    I really saw myself when reading this poem. I'm a freshman in high school, and things have changed drastically, much to my dismay. I guess everyone realized that there were so many other...

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  6. 4. Hurt And Pain

    My life is a HUGE pain. No one makes me happy. They just break me down more and more every day. Maybe life is a lesson. Everything is the same to me. Love/hate. Being silent/or noisy. It's all the same.


    • By Lora
    • Published by Family Friend Poems January 2011 with permission of the Author.

    Hurt and pain.
    There's much to gain.
    Peace and love.
    It's all the same.

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    • Stories 8
    • Shares 9303
    • Favorited 162
    • Votes 3578
    • Rating 4.37
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    My heart bleeds for joy and my mind cries for help. I wish, I wish, and wish some more, but it's hard to be happy. I might wish, but it never comes true, so all I do is live with the pain by...

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  7. 5. The Mask

    Hey, everyone! No one really knows me, not even my boyfriend. I hide myself, which I am sure most of you do as well. This is not supposed to make you sad but to recognize what a lot of us do, mask ourselves from who we really are.


    • By Kleis Val
    • Published by Family Friend Poems April 2015 with permission of the Author.

    She smiles, I cry.
    She is outgoing, I am shy.
    She loves, I am alone.
    She is amazing, I am unknown.

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    • Stories 5
    • Shares 3327
    • Favorited 172
    • Votes 2908
    • Rating 4.48
    Featured Shared Story

    This poem is absolutely beautiful. As I was reading it, I began to think it was about a girl comparing herself to another girl, but the last 2 lines make it really touch your heart. Reading...

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  8. 6. Suicidal Temptations

    The story on our face is not the story of what is going on within.

    • By Desaray Machinine
    • Published by Family Friend Poems February 2008 with permission of the Author.

    Shattered soul, tattered mind.
    The way back is what I hope to find.
    Broken dreams lost without a trace.
    Lately I've been feeling a little out of place.

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    • Stories 7
    • Shares 1126
    • Favorited 27
    • Votes 447
    • Rating 4.37
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    Everyone is beautiful. I'm sorry if something made you feel like you weren't. I can connect with the poem for reasons I don't care to name, but I'm glad you said something. I can't convince...

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  9. 7. In Spite Of You

    I wrote this poem when I discovered my fiance had slept with my friend. It was a low point in my life, and I was so angry, I had to vent on paper.

    • By Jennifer A. Boulch
    • Published by Family Friend Poems February 2016 with permission of the Author.

    Analysis of Form and Technique

    Angry
    Mad
    Livid
    Furious

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 506
    • Favorited 46
    • Votes 298
    • Rating 4.35
  10. 8. The Perfect Little Town

    There is an old song, "From a Distance," which always struck a chord with me. It illustrated that from a distance everything looks nice. You're often not able to see things as they really are.

    • By Irwin Mercer
    • Published by Family Friend Poems May 2017 with permission of the Author.

    The little town was the perfect little town,
    Where never would you see even one little frown.
    No matter where you'd go around town to stroll,
    There were perfect little houses, all in a perfect row.

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 1016
    • Favorited 18
    • Votes 287
    • Rating 4.15
  11. 9. Silent Tears

    The expression of crying silent tears reveals a profound inner struggle that goes unnoticed by others. Through the quiet vulnerability of these tears, the poem conveys a sense of longing to be understood and heard.
    For Martha Livermore. Thank you.

    • By Amanda Smith
    • Published by Family Friend Poems October 2011 with permission of the Author.

    Shh...listen, don't you hear?
    I'm crying, but they are silent tears.
    I'm crying on the inside so you can't see
    all the pain running though me .

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    • Stories 7
    • Shares 2192
    • Favorited 121
    • Votes 2380
    • Rating 4.28
    Featured Shared Story

    Made me feel so sad. I would cry for hours in my room, in the bathroom, in the shower, and wherever else no one would see me or hear me. I'd wait for my family to be out and me to be by...

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  12. 10. When We

    This is written from experiencing a marriage and several relationships with a "bad boy." My home girl and I have spent years watching, waiting, and standing behind our ol' men who have lied, cheated, abused, been locked up, and taken us for granted. It seems like an endless cycle until we either win, lose, give up, or die.

    • By Dana Schwartz
    • Published by Family Friend Poems February 2013 with permission of the Author.

    When all we hear are the empty promises and lies
    That leave behind broken hearts and shattered lives,
    When trust is gone and hope is lost,
    What are we fighting for and who really pays the cost?

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    • Stories 7
    • Shares 2313
    • Favorited 184
    • Votes 1505
    • Rating 4.39
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    I have been dating a guy for 3 years, and recently I moved out of state to pursue college. Ever since I moved he feels that there's no trust between us, and he makes petty excuses as to why...

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  13. 11. Aching Hearts

    You never know the state of someone’s heart. Aching hearts may not look broken, but you have no idea what’s gone into that healing. Be kind, always.

    • By Liz Newman
    • Published by Family Friend Poems December 2020 with permission of the Author.

    We talk a lot about broken hearts.
    But oh,
    what about the aching ones?
    The hearts that are healing

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 1162
    • Favorited 36
    • Votes 156
    • Rating 4.52
  14. 12. Let It Rain

    Sometimes we find ourselves at a low point. A point where you realize that you'd just have to release the pain you feel through heartfelt tears. You may be at an age where people mistake crying for weakness, but in reality, people fail to realize how important it is to let go of all negative emotions.
    The poem largely revolves around my own tears and how they resemble pouring 'rain' at my darkest moments.

    Clouds of thunder, pouring rain,
    The hurt I feel, the throbbing pain.
    Droplets trickling down my face.
    Shall rain give me this one embrace?

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    • Stories 2
    • Shares 3470
    • Favorited 72
    • Votes 552
    • Rating 4.50
    Featured Shared Story

    The description of the hostile environment reflects the suffering human soul. That is the beauty of this short poem.

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  15. 13. Waiting...

    Trying to continue living but the absence of my loved one makes me so sad.

    Waiting for you to call...
    Knowing that you won't...
    Hoping for you to come by...
    Waiting...

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 5
    • Favorited 2
    • Votes 22
    • Rating 4.46
  16. 14. The Mask

    I am a survivor of years of child abuse, and the exception to our society view of "children raised in an abused home will grow up to abuse." My secret past is locked up within my own memories not to be shared by anyone who knows me. I am but a stranger to all who know me. I try to please everyone, putting everyone first in my life, for fear of being unloved.

    • By Kathy Russell
    • Published by Family Friend Poems November 2017 with permission of the Author.

    Who am I?
    You think you know...
    Behind this mask of a
    smile is a desperate heart

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 2142
    • Favorited 71
    • Votes 619
    • Rating 4.45
  17. 15. Empty

    Something I deal with a little bit at a time each day. :(

    I'm surrounded by people who say they care,
    But when I really need them, they suddenly aren't there.

    I feel so empty sitting in a dark room all alone.

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    • Stories 4
    • Shares 1273
    • Favorited 55
    • Votes 260
    • Rating 4.42
    Featured Shared Story

    Unless people are suffering the same pain, they cannot understand. However, most people do mean they will be there for you but don't know what to do to make it better. Have you ever asked...

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  18. 16. They Leave Me Heartbroken

    Okay, it's all about me getting taken away from my family and being put in DHS, so I'm writing this poem to show how I'm feeling. I really miss them.

    • By Betty Bruner
    • Published by Family Friend Poems November 2012 with permission of the Author.

    They take away my family
    They tear us all apart
    They try to erase the memories
    But can't erase the marks

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 607
    • Favorited 20
    • Votes 364
    • Rating 4.40
  19. 17. The Opposite Is Also True

    My mother died 3 years ago from suicide (it's longer than I thought). I was just 11 years old. Since then, I have been writing poems. Some are just random scribbles. Others have a lot of thought. This poem is one I have written recently. My poems have been veering more toward "getting over it" recently. But I still miss her every single day, and I will never stop using my birthday wishes or shooting stars on wishing for her back.

    • By Coral
    • Published by Family Friend Poems April 2018 with permission of the Author.

    They say it's sweet that we laugh
    because our bodies literally
    can't contain the
    joy.

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    • Stories 1
    • Shares 1858
    • Favorited 35
    • Votes 641
    • Rating 4.33
    Featured Shared Story

    Yeah, it is actually true. When we cry, we get relief from the pain.

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  20. 18. No Celebration

    Since losing many loved ones, Christmas and New Year's celebrations have lost all meaning. They only highlight your loss, knowing nothing can change.

    • By John P. Read
    • Published by Family Friend Poems February 2017 with permission of the Author.

    What's the point of celebrating
    When the ones you loved have gone?
    It's only the beginning of another year,
    Another year of struggling alone.

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    • Stories 3
    • Shares 2064
    • Favorited 35
    • Votes 526
    • Rating 4.32
    Featured Shared Story

    Strangely, this kinda relates to me, as many family members such as my uncles, grand-parents, and my father passed a few years ago around the holidays, and often times all you feel is grief...

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  21. 19. Monsters Roar Inside Me

    The poem expresses the internal struggle of depression. Feelings are trapped inside and the only way to make people understand is for them to step inside your head and take a walk with your monsters. The poem is a powerful and relatable representation of the struggles of depression and the longing for understanding of the pain.

    • By Gracie Kilroy
    • Published by Family Friend Poems March 2008 with permission of the Author.

    I'm closed up ready to burst.
    Every freakish thought tingles inside me.
    My feelings want to escape but they live in silence.
    They can't find a way to morph into words,

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    • Stories 0
    • Shares 94
    • Favorited 8
    • Votes 80
    • Rating 4.18
  22. 20. In My Dreams

    It was for my first love who died a long time ago. Sometimes when I wake up from a dream of him, I just want to go back, back, and stay there. If only my mere will was enough.

    You found me and you raised me up
    A love so pure that angels weep,
    But now it takes my breath away
    To find you only in my sleep.

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    • Stories 2
    • Shares 63
    • Favorited 11
    • Votes 85
    • Rating 4.06
    Featured Shared Story

    I had someone in my heart who never let me down at any situation. But suddenly one day all the clouds in my world burst. I was drowned by my own tears when she told me, "I don't have any...

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