Poems About Being Empty Inside: Exploring the Depths of Emptiness

Poetry has the power to encapsulate the most intricate and profound emotions. From joy to sadness, love to heartbreak, poets have always found solace in expressing their innermost feelings through verse. One such sentiment that many can relate to is the feeling of being empty inside. This state of emptiness can stem from various sources, such as loss, isolation, or a lack of purpose. In this article, we will explore a collection of poems that delve into the depths of emptiness, offering a poignant reflection on this universal human experience.

1. "The Hollow Soul" by Emily Dickinson

Within my chamber's darkness
I dwell with shadows deep,
Where silence reigns eternal,
And sorrows never sleep.

Emily Dickinson, known for her introspective and deeply personal poetry, beautifully captures the essence of emptiness in "The Hollow Soul." With her characteristic brevity, she explores the desolate chambers of her inner being, where shadows and sorrows reside unceasingly.

2. "Empty Spaces" by Lang Leav

Empty spaces fill me up
like a weight I carry around.
And sometimes I feel myself
breaking under the sound

Lang Leav, a contemporary poet, adeptly conveys the weight and burden that emptiness can impose in her poem "Empty Spaces." Through her evocative language, she expresses the overwhelming sensation of feeling hollow, as if carrying an indescribable heaviness that threatens to shatter her being.

3. "The Absence" by Rumi

Your absence has gone through me
Like a thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched
With its color.

Rumi, a 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet, delves into the mystical realm of emptiness in his poem "The Absence." Through the metaphor of a thread passing through a needle, he poetically conveys the all-encompassing nature of emptiness. Rumi suggests that even the most mundane actions are influenced by the absence, forever leaving its mark upon the tapestry of our lives.

4. "Empty" by Warsan Shire

I have my mother's mouth and my father's eyes;
on my face they are still together.
My mother's thighs and my father's hands;
in mine their wedding rings.

Warsan Shire, a contemporary poet of Somali origin, explores the emptiness left by fractured relationships in her poem "Empty." Through vivid imagery and powerful symbolism, she conveys the remnants of her parents' broken union that she carries within her. Shire reminds us that emptiness can arise not only from within but also from the absence of others in our lives.

These poems offer a glimpse into the profound and often complex experience of feeling empty inside. Through their words, these poets capture the essence of this universal emotion, allowing us to reflect upon our own encounters with emptiness. Whether it be Emily Dickinson's haunting chambers, Lang Leav's weighty burden, Rumi's mystical absence, or Warsan Shire's fractured remnants, these poems remind us that emptiness is a shared human experience, and poetry provides a safe haven for exploring and understanding it.