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This is exactly as it reads. Some of these poems are more well-known while others have helped me cope with a singles lifestyle. These are just some of my favorite lines from them.
This is inspired by a recent article that I found from last year on writermag.com titled “Like a hook into the eye”: 9 anti-love poems. After being single as all get out for years here are five anti-love poems for every single out there to remind us all that Valentines honestly is secretly a con holiday. We are all sad and lonely at one point or another so keep your head up. Go google these, read them to remind yourself of how much love can suck sometimes and then go live your life.
1. Audre Lorde “Movement Song”
Everyone and their mother who is into poetry knows this one. Audre Lorde is a legend and this is by far one of her more popular poems.
your goodbye is a promise of lightning
in the last angel’s hand
unwelcome and warning
2. Shel Silverstein “Masks”
She had blue skin,
And so, did he.
He kept it hid.
And so, did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then they passed right by –
And never knew
Yes, this is the whole poem and is so simple but still is unnecessarily sad.
3. Jennifer Militello “Oxymoronic Love”
Let us empty. Let us alone. Madness
is our happiness. Sadness is our home.
4. Lucy Ives “Poem”
There is nothing for them to see.
How do I tell my hands they will never touch that person’s hands?
How do I tell my ears that when that person says my name it is only a word?
Finally,number 5. It is one of the most obvious ones but it is on here because of her final line. More importantly her words in that line… (dramatic drumroll).
5. Grace Paley “Anti-Love Poem”
that’s all you can do
old as you are to save yourself from love