We are all full of traditions: traditions we learned, traditions we celebrated, and traditions we created.  Today I share a tradition with you that I created so many years ago, I’ve lost count.

It’s Valentine’s day!  And on this day I share love poems I’ve been collecting all year.  If you’re curious where the tradition started, you can read about it here on an older blog of mine.  If you enjoy the poems and want to read more, you can find them in the blog filters under “Valentine’s Day poems.”

This year, I have 4 poems of others’ work to share with you, then 1 of my own.  First are two poems by older poets I’ve long loved and admired: Langston Hughes and Rainer Maria Rilke.  Then there are two poems from a couple of female poets I’ve newly discovered: Dunya Mikhail (an Iraqi-American poet) and Anne Carson (an NYU teacher).

Finally, I’m also including some of my original art for FREE.  I made some printable Valentines (full of puns) so feel free to download them and share with your loved ones as you wish.  Just one favor I ask: if you like them, please let me know!

My Loves

by Langston Hughes

I love to see the big white moon,
A-shining in the sky;
I love to see the little stars,
When the shadow clouds go by.

I love the rain drops falling
On my roof-top in the night;
I love the soft wind’s sighing,
Before the dawn’s gray light.

I love the deepness of the blue,
In my Lord’s heaven above;
But better than all these things I think,
I love my lady love.

Love Song

by Rainer Maria Rilke

When my soul touches yours a great chord sings!
How shall I tune it then to other things?
O! That some spot in darkness could be found
That does not vibrate when’er your depth sound.
But everything that touches you and me
Welds us as played strings sound one melody.
Where is the instrument whence the sounds flow?
And whose the master-hand that holds the bow?
O! Sweet song—

One More Love Poem

by Dunya Mikhail

If I had one more day
I would write a love poem
composed of one word
repeated like binary code.

I’ll multiply it by the number
of days that passed
without saying it to you
and I’ll add the days

when I said it with no words
because I want to say it
more. And like a bee
gathering pollen, I’ll collect

everything ever said
in one word like a square root
multiplied by the power of ten.
I’ll count even that day

when my anger at you
or for you turned me into
a stone, and also the days
when I was away

sending my songs like
postcards to the lonely,
feeling you in every touch
of love I gave to the world.

I’ll count all my days,
even the nine months of days
before I was born, to say
this exponential, growing “I love you.”

O Small Sad Ecstasy of Love

by Anne Carson

I like being with you all night with closed eyes.
What luck—here you are
coming
along the stars!
I did a road trip
all over my mind and heart
and
there you were
kneeling by the roadside
with your little toolkit
fixing something.

Give me a world, you have taken the world I was.

In Hundreds of Years

by me

In hundreds of years

when we are nothing more than dust,

I wonder what archeologists will find

as proof of our love?

Will the thousands of lunch box sticky notes

still remain inside our metal desks?

Will the paintings I made for you

remain on someone’s wall?

Will our millions of collected seashells

still remain decoupaged on picture frames?

Will all our travel photos

simply yellow with age

instead of becoming ash?

I’m guessing not,

but perhaps these words

will preserve our love

so others may know

how well you loved me

and I loved you.

FREE PRINTABLE VALENTINES (originals created by me):