It is never easy to deal with divorce or separation, regardless of whether the decision was taken mutually or individually. Therefore, we have curated the best poetry about divorce that you could read to cope with your situation and move on. Letting go of your partner with whom you have shared several unforgettable moments isn’t easy. However, when things do not go as envisioned by you both, and you feel that your marriage has not progressed in the way you dreamt it to be, you may need to part ways. The poems given here might inspire you to leave the bitter past behind and help you write a new chapter of your life.
15 Poems About Divorce
Read on to these astounding fragments of poetry about divorce to help yourself cope up with the difficult times.
1. This Was Once a Love Poem
This was once a love poem, Before its haunches thickened, its breath grew short, before it found itself sitting, perplexed and a little embarrassed, on the fender of a parked car, while many people passed by without turning their heads. It remembers itself dressing as if for a great engagement. It remembers choosing these shoes, this scarf or tie. By Jane Hirshfield
2. But Not Forgotten
I think, no matter where you stray, That I shall go with you a way. Though you may wander sweeter lands, You will not soon forget my hands, Nor yet the way I held my head, Nor all the tremulous things I said. You still will see me, small and white And smiling, in the secret night, And feel my arms about you when The day comes fluttering back again. I think, no matter where you be, You’ll hold me in your memory And keep my image, there without me, By telling later loves about me. By Dorothy Parker
3. When We Two Parted
When we two parted In silence and tears, Half broken-hearted To sever for years, Pale grew thy cheek and cold, Colder thy kiss; Truly that hour foretold Sorrow to this. The dew of the morning Sunk chill on my brow— It felt like the warning Of what I feel now. Thy vows are all broken, And light is thy fame; I hear thy name spoken, And share in its shame. They name thee before me, A knell to mine ear; A shudder comes o’er me— Why wert thou so dear? They know not I knew thee, Who knew thee too well— Long, long shall I rue thee, Too deeply to tell. In secret we met— In silence I grieve, That thy heart could forget, Thy spirit deceive. If I should meet thee After long years, How should I greet thee?— With silence and tears. By George Gordon Byron
4. After Love
There is no magic anymore, We meet as other people do, You work no miracle for me Nor I for you. You were the wind and I the sea— There is no splendor anymore, I have grown listless as the pool Beside the shore. But though the pool is safe from storm And from the tide has found surcease, It grows more bitter than the sea, For all its peace. By Sara Teasdale
5. The Unbearable Weight Of Staying
I don’t know when love became elusive what I know, is that no one I know has it myfathers arms around my mothers neck fruit too ripe to eat, a door halfway open when your name is a just a hand I can never hold everything I have ever believed in, becomes magic. I think of lovers as trees, growing to and from one another searching for the same light, my mothers laughter in a dark room, a photograph greying under my touch, this is all I know how to do, carry loss around until I begin to resemble every bad memory, every terrible fear, every nightmare anyone has ever had. I ask did you ever love me? you say of course, of course so quickly that you sound like someone else I ask are you made of steel? are you made of iron? you cry on the phone, my stomach hurts I let you leave, I need someone who knows how to stay. By Warsan Shire
6. Still I Rise
You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. By Maya Angelou
7. Divorce
I will stay separate and divorce Lambasted a lady with strong force I was taken aback at once, Never heard such anger since, Was it natural outburst? Why all of sudden she wanted me to oust? Thought for a while and remained cool, Immediate reaction would be sign of fool, Never I shamed her or neglected, On all the matters almost contacted, Remained possessively forever connected, Why then she hastily acted? I must cool her down, Convince her to shed the frown, All the actions I must disown, Full praise and put on head a crown, She will relent, If offered no arguments, Kept mum and offered no comment, She will find the way and lament, Why dear you are in such state? Has anyone trouble you or mob irate? Nothing of that sort but you have failed, In my own house I feel jailed, You have no time to spare, No talk and not going anywhere, I am confined all the times here, You have no sweet words which I want to hear, I saw the valid reason, The rain was timely and of season, I must respect her wishes, She was not at home for washing the dishes, She was at home once again, I too had trust to regain, I said few with sincere sorry, This relieved her from all worries By Mehta HasmukhAmathalal
8. A Tattoo Of Deep Scar…Divorce
When your soul mate Rotten as stalemate When you decide Never to meet This relationship Is amputated and broken A chance To rectify and remodify Your comedy of errors It’s not a tragedy To mourn But life has to move on If your love, respect, trust Questioned Take a chance To relive your Emotions in passions Rather Looking it as a taboo Divorce spell bounds Cease to redeem or relieve Don’t accept The betrayer With guilt Deseed the weed Though this tattoo Gives permanent scars Start everything new It’s just a Lesson by a person With reason to season you By V.M.Saraswathy Munuswamy
9. Divorce and Separation
It’s a hard time separation The time before divorce It’s hard on either party Even harder when the cause Is something there within you That ate you from the start You end up with accountants When first you gave your heart. A whole parcel of our lives is there Long lost inside the mail The feelings that we once had When we thought we could not fail To grow old and grey together And be dreaming of the past. Now these fondness dreams are over And the time for sentiment has passed I could not be the man you loved Nor did you want to be The one who helped my dreaming And just let me be me. By David Keig
10. Apart
Do not write. I am sad, and want my light put out. Summers in your absence are as dark as a room. I have closed my arms again. They must do without. To knock at my heart is like knocking at a tomb. Do not write! Do not write. Let us learn to die, as best we may. Did I love you? Ask God. Ask yourself. Do you know? To hear that you love me, when you are far away, Is like hearing from heaven and never to go. Do not write! Do not write. I fear you. I fear to remember, For memory holds the voice I have often heard. To the one who cannot drink, do not show water, The beloved one’s picture in the handwritten word. Do not write! Do not write those gentle words that I dare not see, It seems that your voice is spreading them on my heart, Across your smile, on fire, they appear to me, It seems that a kiss is printing them on my heart. Do not write! By Louis Simpson
11. To a Divorce Woman
Death appeared in your marriage Ugly Words were spoken creating a cause to leave For some there was an applause for your breakup Because some spoke behind your back! You are now a woman in solitude Understanding the value of moving away from the multitude At times, you saw the danger in your marriage But you still believed it could be fixed until You realize that ugly words compounded more ugly words Now you know that nothing is opened by mistake more than the mouth! Both of you said things you should have never said Ultimately, you started to realize the bed meant nothing anymore! Before you knew it, it was too late! Too often one in the relationship will try to be the dictator Soon after that, the other one will be a spectator But despite the calamity of divorce You will stand strong and Know that your next relationship will be without force! You are now a woman in solitude Understanding the value of moving away from the multitude Remain strong; your heart belongs to the man That understands that nothing is opened by mistake more than the mouth! By Mark Frank
12. Can We Be Strangers
The holes in the walls are all patched and the plaster is dry the broken glass is swept away or turned to sand I only want that when I see you, you not quickly turn away… to be forgiven–not to start over, we know how that ends not to be friends, we’ve tried that, too– but, that you include my wretched name in your whispered prayers for all humanity… I hoped maybe we’d be strangers and just …smile By P. S. Awtry
13. Yellow Flowers
You made me love yellow flowers in the middle of July, when everything was dying because the ground was so dry. You offered them to me with the faintest smile on your face, caressed the lemon petals as you put them on display. I looked at them quizzically, questioning their presence. You embraced me with laughter, said they’re my essence. You told me a short story of blossoms and blooms, and strength and survival, in the midst of gloom. And I fell in love with yellow flowers because of the story you shared, and I cherished their sunshine, and the meaning they bared. And then they were gone. Along with you and your stories and smile. No laughter or embrace. No petals or blooms, sunshine or lemons. The ground was dry and cracked and barren. And I was alone, with just a fading scent and drifting memories. You made me love yellow flowers, then you took them away. By RapsedeBlu
14. Reflections on Divorce
Prayers that go unanswered turn into next year’s dreams words that fall on stony ground are not all that they seem thoughts can turn you inside out and jealous minds ensue oh pitiful heart and mind, be still I know what you’ve been through Crystal clear, as teardrops seem Inside them, memories fall beyond their trip down cheeks of red a new beginning calls adjust your mind and heart into a future full of hope in time those prayers and dreams you had will help your heart to cope By Phil Soar
15. Broken Heart
I know you say you love me, But you don’t see How this breaks my heart, Since we are now apart. I wait for you on a whim, I lose and only you win. My heart breaks in the dark, Waiting for you to fix my heart. All the years that we shared Have disappeared and no one cared. We had a love so strong, can’t you see, They were jealous of you and me. I lie here and cry in the night, Wishing you were holding me tight. In the darkness I shall hide, Wishing you were by my side. Bring your light back to me, For you are the one, you see. My true love is all I seek, For now I am too weak I will love you till the end of time, Oh, I wish you were still mine. All I have are all these tears, What’s left of 16 years. I try to hold the pain within, But at night the tears begin. You and the boys are my life, Oh, I miss my wife. Please take these tears away, And come home to stay. Only you, you alone, Can save this broken home. By Norm
‘My partner is annoying too.’ ‘What about the children?’ ‘Did you people try counseling?’ ‘Tell me what happened.’ ‘I never liked your partner anyway.’
