Are you having a hard time moving on from a heartbreak, from the death of a loved one, or from losing something you’ve treasured for a long time? These poems about moving on will help you express what you feel in words and maybe, just maybe, even help lessen the pain you’ve been carrying.
Poems About Moving On
1. Ode To Love
By: Beryl L. Edmonds
To everything, there’s a time and season
Time to laugh and to weep for good reason.
A season for living, to find true love
And a time to dance with angels above.
Holder of my heart, vision of my dreams,
The way you walked, talked and those eyes that gleamed,
Invading my thoughts by day and by night.
Darling, you inspire my bleak soul to write.
Let me compare thee to an April day.
Showers of rain that bring forth buds of May,
Shining like the sun beams down now and then
Making earth become beautiful again.
How do I love thee? I’ll tell you the ways.
Whispered sweet nothings that raised up my days,
Being wrapped in your arms, magic we’ve shared.
Each precious moment you handled with care.
To heaven and back, a very long time.
Time will never erase you from my mind.
The memories made, I keep as a gift
Tied up with ribbons and sealed with a kiss.
Sweetheart, you’ll always be my shining star.
Bright light of my life, where’er thou art?
Tho’ I go on with deep pain in my heart.
Remember these words whilst we are apart.
I miss you whilst you are out of my sight.
I miss you now that you’re out of my life.
2. One Day
By: Shaydee A. Ault
One day you’re gonna see her,
But she won’t be looking at you.
One day you’ll feel like she did,
And you won’t know what to do.
One day you’re gonna love her,
But she won’t feel the same.
One day you’ll know how it feels
To have your blue skies turn to rain.
One day you’ll dream of only her,
But she’ll be dreaming of someone else.
One day she’ll feel as if she’s in heaven,
And you’ll be feeling as if you’re in hell.
One day you’re gonna cry for her
The way she did for you.
One day you’re going to miss her,
But she’ll be loving someone new.
3. Carry On
By: Briana D. Washington
I don’t hate you,
Because I still love you.
I can’t look at you,
Because it hurts to.
We don’t talk,
Because there is nothing left to say.
You apologized,
But I just walked away.
I’m leaving you and the thought of you behind,
Because I just need to clear my mind.
I’m angered because you wasted my time,
Hurt because I believed you were mine,
But I just didn’t see the signs.
I guess that’s why they say love is blind,
Because you got my heart caught in binds.
Look me in my eyes,
And listen as my heart cries,
Cries out in pain.
This feeling makes me feel like I’m covered in flames,
Until ashes are all that remain.
Thought you were different,
But you’re all the same.
Thought this was real,
But it was all a game.
I gave you my love,
And you gave it away.
That’s why my heart is blue
And my skies are gray.
Will I ever see the light of day?
Will this dark cloud ever go away?
Or will it follow me for my remaining days?
Grasp all my joy and strip it away?
No, I am too bold.
Way too bold to be stuck in the cold.
I am way too strong not to carry on.
4. Let Go
By: Shelby T. Parsons
What do I do,
When I’m still in love with you?
You walked away,
Cause you didn’t want to stay.
You broke my heart, you tore me apart.
Every day I wait for you,
Telling myself our love was true.
But when you don’t show, more tears start to flow.
That’s when I know
I have to let go.
5. Broken Hearts And Prayers
By: Alexis Daniels
When your heart chooses a path, and you walk so far,
nothing can turn you back from where you are.
No pain, no scars can make you turn away,
there’s nothing that anyone can do or say.
You’re scared, your hurting and the tears seem to never end,
but you think in your mind, I would do it all again.
For the little moments that get you through the bad,
For the few happy moments that get you through the sad.
For the few laughs and smile, and the jokes and the care,
that you wish so wholeheartedly would always be there.
You’d try to make them happy in every possible way,
but it seems to worsen with every passing day.
All you want is for them to hold you and let you know that they care,
but know matter how hard you try, they don’t, and it doesn’t seem fair.
Your whole heart now broken, you hope for a change, but you know somehow even through your prayers they will always be the same.
Your love won’t let you leave, and you continue to hope for the best,
and pray every night that God will take care of the rest.
6. My Boat
By: Darren A. Mccallum
You were my boat, sleek by design.
I was your jetty, one of a kind.
We were deeply in love and made for each other,
And I promised I’d never harbour another.
We endured many storms, some big, and some small,
And I stood firm for you through them all.
And no matter how fierce those winter winds blew,
I’d withstand the force and keep a hold of you.
Your delicate nudge when the weather was fine,
Your smooth polished body, pressing up against mine.
I was the happiest jetty in all of the sea,
And I couldn’t believe that you’d chosen me,
But over the years I watched our rope fray,
And I could see you were slowly slipping away.
The knots that we’d fastened were no longer tight,
But I tried to hold on with all of my might
I couldn’t survive without you by my side.
I never gave up, oh how I tried.
Then came an angry, tempestuous storm,
And the minute it passed, you were suddenly gone.
That day you left me was painfully bleak.
I stood there, heartbroken and structurally weak.
I had braved the conditions for so many years.
Now my timber was heavy, sodden with tears,
My pylons gave way, the wood didn’t float,
And slowly I drowned still in love with my boat.
7. Weight Upon My Shoulders
By: Ashley Hyder
The little woman on the left
the one upon my shoulder,
tells me I should guard my heart.
She wants me to make it colder.
Don’t give too much of yourself she says
please remember all the pain,
reminds me of the past mistakes.
She warns it will end the same.
Your independence will bring you safety
you are the only one you can depend
If you never allow anyone in,
you will never again have to mend.
There is a woman on my right
that looks just like the other,
but she screams at me to love.
To give my heart to another.
This time will be different, she says
don’t lose your hope and faith,
the pain of the past is behind you.
This fear you must erase.
Don’t keep yourself from feeling
you will find yourself alone.
Deep down you wish to give yourself
and find a heart in turn to own.
These two women on my shoulders
both want the best for me.
They only are trying to protect myself
from a life of misery.
But I don’t know who to side with
because they tell such different things.
One says don’t take the chance.
The other wants what love brings.
I listen for who’s louder
but their volumes match the same.
I wonder how much longer
in limbo I will remain.
8. A One-Sided Love
By: Kiara
Once upon a time I opened up my heart to you.
You did what you chose to do.
You chose to keep my as a best friend.
Little did you know I was dying to the very end.
You killed me with every boyish look.
My heart melted and my knees shook.
I always wanted more than that,
But I guess it wasn’t meant to be.
But you’ll never truly know how much you mean to me.
You were always there
And wiped away every tear.
I just wish you would’ve waited, stayed here.
I still dream about you in this one-sided love.
It’s hard to breathe without you,
Like a suffocating dove.
I wish you loved me the way I loved you,
But this is a lesson that helped me learn the truth.
Guard your heart and soul and mind,
Unless you want yourself in an unruly bind.
This one-sided love has torn my apart.
This one-sided love has broken my heart.
Please be safe on this journey of life,
And come back someday and make me your wife.
This one-sided love is a dangerous game,
But then again, that’s the name of the game….
9. Letting Go
By: Jed Diez Acido
Here I sit thinking of my past
Dwelling upon old hurts,
Why? Because it is like shackles holding me back.
Taking one step forward only for my chains to drag me two steps back,
Making progress only to lose it
Sometimes I wonder why I even try.
Why do I keep trying to move on
When I haven’t yet gotten over the past.
I say I’m fine, that I’ve moved on.
But this is but a half truth.
Until now I have never truly moved on
But on this day, I’m letting it all go.
I’m letting go of the pain,
Letting go of the anger
Of the sorrow and hurt I’ve received
On this day, I’m letting go of my past.
No longer will I allow myself to be ruled by what was
From now on, I will be ruled by what will be.
I cannot change my past
But I can prevent it from dictating my future
My chains are broken
I’m free to move on
My scars are now memories
There to remind but never again to shackle.
I am free.
Because I finally let go.
10. The Balloon
A large crowded room
Filled with voices boom
Glanced at dazzling faces
Like assorted roses in vases
A distinct humming sound
Waiting to be found
At the center of the crowd
A balloon to his astound
Sweaty hand
Grasping on single strand
Gently slipping
Like water slowly dripping
So little time
Yet both in chime
And for a while
They both shared a smile
He sighed
Towards the entrance he trudged
It was not goodbye
But they both need to fly
Final boarding call
Announced all over the hall
I’m afraid you can’t bring that with you
With no uttered words, they both already knew
11. Gone
This is what you wanted
At least now you know
Don’t need the dreams that taunted
Showing what is unattainable
It hurts a bit
But not like before
And you cannot give
To him anymore
When asked where you are
You will not answer
When kisses come into talk
The conversation will be severed
When you feel too much
You will numb your skin
When you want to touch
You will not think of him
You knew the game
And should have stayed out
Like you usually do
This time, clean house
When I say you will not
You will listen always
It is how we survive
And never get played.
12. Hope
You say you’ve changed, that you realize how much you love me.
but as soon as you get the chance
you hurt me once more.
I can’t accept the fact that your feelings are untrue.
Maybe because it’s just so easy to believe the lies that spew from your mouth.
So I say another chance won’t be bad
because there’s always hope
that the next time you say you’ve changed
you’ll finally be telling the truth.
But after all this time I can come to the conclusion that you might be capable of change just not for me.
13. Fallen Leaf
By: Jed Diez Acido
Clinging to the branch
Firm with a hunch
A vague promise
The mighty rain pours
The slapping wind whirls
The angry lightning hurls
Greeting as the sun rises
Praying as the moon vanishes
The cycle repeats
Rain stopped
Wind hushed
Nothing but the sound of silence
Persistently looking up
Is the branch holding me?
Or am I holding to the branch?
As I glance below,
Tranquility envelops,
It’s time I let go.
14. It’s Been Too Long
By: Tyler Castro
Will a Phoenix doused in water reignite?
Should the Sun ever disturb the night?
As my eyes take their rest my mind takes flight
Then quickly plummets straight into blight
Straight into sorrow, reigniting my rage
And keeps me awake as if it were day
Awake to write my story, awake to dwell on the last page
How dare I wallow over someone engaged?
Great Leviathan, demon God of water and life
Lend me your strength as I overcome this strife
Baptize me in your waters and revitalize my sight
Clear away all the salt and callus to turn my sclera white
Drown the anger in my heart, cease its return.
the Phoenix, for its presence burns.
Drown the Sun so that the moon may take its turn
Allow my brain to rest so that I may have the capacity to learn
How to fully move on.
15. The Cloud And The Sun
what a pretty sky
on a pretty day
not a cloud in the sky
the sun beams down
a single cloud
on a pretty day
alone
the sun beams down
perhaps I am the cloud
alone by myself
never surrounded by peers
a spot of paint
perhaps you are the sun
with me
pulling me up
hugging me
the universe turns
with you
orbiting a centerpiece
we can’t name
a lone cloud
on a pretty day
no other in the sky
the sun beams down
another cloud appears
no more loners
in the sky
the sun beams down
perhaps you are the sun
and I am the cloud
how do you feel
I am not with you
the universe turns
you tear me apart
we grow big
you grow dark
rain in the sky
on a windy day
so many cloud in the sky
no sun beams
perhaps I am the clouds
and you are the sun
I move on
you continue to turn
a pretty sky
on a pretty day
no cloud in the sky
the sun beams down
the sun beams on
the universe turns
the sun beams on
the sun beams
16. Happy New Year
in quiet rural corners
where lights die
at 10 p.m.
crickets sing
to deep dark skies
stars scintillate
for a wish, for a desire.
time slows down
and silence makes
every word resonate louder
like it should always
trees dance to the music
of whispered promises in the evening,
vows spoken,
truth unfolds,
hearts unbroken.
let your mouth speak
the words you never thought you’d say to anyone else
let your mind obsess
over someone else’s freckles,
and the way he holds his cigarette
let your skin feel
someone else’s touch,
someone else’s tremors
let your lips savor
someone else’s kiss,
someone else’s words
let your heart heal
as you trace constellations
in the indigo space above your heads,
as if you were running your finger
down his spine,
and up the back of his neck again.
let your heart heal
as the cool January breeze caresses your hips,
just like the way
he suddenly embraces you from behind.
let your heart heal
when he utters
dulcet phrases you should’ve heard from
memories gone by.
let your heart heal
and let your heart bid goodbye.
when love escapes too rapidly,
let it go
when love doesn’t want to stay,
let it go
when love seems happier with someone else
let him go.
because another love will arrive,
in roaring volumes, it will let you know
that you’d never have to chase after it,
and that you would never have to doubt,
that you’d never have to hurt so much,
and I love you, will be said and will be meant and will be felt.
so let your heart heal,
and let your heart begin
again.
17. Love And Love No More
Playing my cards wrong like
Jim Morrison prom night bath,
lavender and drug fixings,
we all just hope I went
missing.
Sorry I only love you
until I wake up in the
morning.
I’m on and off like
sunrise sunset.
My mind is stuffed
in a box
in the attic.
I’m a heartbreak
addict.
Don’t ever let me heal.
18. The Sun Will Rise
Things will start
and things will end,
but the world will continue to turn.
For there’s always spring after winter
and winter will come again.
And even as our days on earth shorten
and we love our loves no more.
The days on the calendar will continue to fall,
and we will move on
and we will continue to live.
And even when our laughs seem to stop time,
and this moment doesn’t seem to end.
The clock on the wall will continue to tick.
And our hearts will continue to beat,
until death.
But it’s funny,
Even after death
and birth
and love
and hate, all in our hearts,
the sun will continue to rise.
And the world will turn
and the stars will shine
and the seasons will change
and our child’s play will never change our constants.
19. On The Other Line
I shouldn’t have dialed your number,
when I need someone to listen my babbles and rants,
when I feel sick lonely, close to crying.
When I feel empty.
I shouldn’t have dialed your number,
when I’m pained of missing you.
When I’m numb.
When I’m ecstatic.
I shouldn’t have dialed your number,
but I want to hear your voice,
cuss on me when life gives you,
laugh with petty or otherwise mishaps.
I want to be your anchor
like the old days.
Oh, those old days.
You shouldn’t have answered my call,
when you want to hear my voice,
when you missed the sound of my existence,
when you want to kiss me, hug me
but you can’t.
You shouldn’t have answered my call,
when I need you.
I will always need you.
You shouldn’t have answered my call.
You should let it ring,
until it became a missed call on your log.
You should swipe it to decline.
You should throw it on your bed,
or to something harder.
You shouldn’t have answered any of my calls.
I called because I missed you.
I called because I want the old us.
I called because,
I can’t live without you,
but I should live without you.
20. How To Move On
step one.
you close your eyes.
you close them tight.
then you press your palms
against your
closed eyelids,
until
you start seeing red spots that remind you
of a song you wrote
for someone so long ago.
that someone doesn’t matter anymore,
not really, so eventually,
neither will he.
step two.
you wear a nightgown.
the one with the lacy v neck, the one
that exposes your thighs,
the one with the vintage roses.
you wear it to bed to remind yourself
that you don’t have to wear his attention
like a perfume
to feel.
step three.
you listen to those songs.
you know which ones.
you listen to them and sing or rap along
until your throat is sore, until
your chest hurts. do it
until you don’t know why you’re crying,
then write a song about why
you are crying,
so that when you look back,
you can see that it doesn’t matter.
heartache fades.
step four.
dive into a body of water in only
your under garments.
force yourself
to swim,
no matter how much
you want
to drown.
21. A Fixed Idea
By: Amy Lowell
What torture lurks within a single thought
When grown too constant, and however kind,
However welcome still, the weary mind
Aches with its presence. Dull remembrance taught
Remembers on unceasingly, unsought
The old delight is with us but to find
That all recurring joy is pain refined,
Become a habit, and we struggle, caught.
You lie upon my heart as on a nest,
Folded in peace, for you can never know
How crushed I am with having you at rest
Heavy upon my life. I love you so
You bind my freedom from its rightful quest.
In mercy lift your drooping wings and go.
22. I Don’t Know What Living a Balanced Life Feels Like
By: Rupi Kaur
I don’t know what living a balanced life feels like
when I am sad
I don’t cry I pour
when I am happy
I don’t smile I glow
when I am angry
I don’t yell I burn
23. I’ll Open the Window
By: Anna Swir
Our embrace lasted too long.
We loved right down to the bone.
I hear the bones grind, I see
our two skeletons.
Now I am waiting
till you leave, till
the clatter of your shoes
is heard no more. Now, silence.
Tonight I am going to sleep alone
on the bedclothes of purity.
Aloneness
is the first hygienic measure.
Aloneness
will enlarge the walls of the room,
I will open the window
and the large, frosty air will enter,
healthy as tragedy.
Human thoughts will enter
and human concerns,
misfortune of others, saintliness of others.
They will converse softly and sternly.
Do not come anymore.
I am an animal
very rarely.
24. Never Give All the Heart
By: W. B. Yeats
Never give all the heart, for love
Will hardly seem worth thinking of
To passionate women if it seem
Certain, and they never dream
That it fades out from kiss to kiss,
For everything that’s lovely is
But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.
O never give the heart outright,
For they, for all smooth lips can say,
Have given their hearts up to the play.
And who could play it well enough
If deaf and dumb and blind with love?
He that made this knows all the cost,
For he gave all his heart and lost.