30 Best Love Poems And Quotes By Instagram Poet Nayyirah Waheed
Make your heart sing and your eyes water.
Nayyirah Waheed is an Instapoet who shares her insights and thoughts of the world through poetry she shares on Instagram. With over 460k followers, and more than 100 posts, she's taking words to the next level and changing lives.
There is something to be said with a person who has a way with words, particularly poetry. Poetry has ways of touching the soul that make us quiver with delight, fear, or sadness.
Poetry is power, and a woman with a pen is a force to be reckoned with.
One of these forces of nature is the healing power of poetry. Waheed, an African-American, infuses a raw simplicity into her works, that is deeply touching and insightful.
Every poem is fueled by complex human emotions yet written so minimalistically, making her works so touching.
Most of her works touch upon the topics of love, identity, feminism, and race.
According to Jet Magazine, Waheed has been named one of the most famous poets on Instagram. Despite this, many aspects of her life are left a mystery to us because of the reclusive life she tends to lead.
She began writing at the age of eleven when her English teacher gave her a poetry assignment. Because most of her works are published through social media, she has a large following on sites like Tumblr and Instagram.
One thing is for sure though —she has a way with words that the literary world simply could not do without. She has revived this thing call poetry, making it live and breathe and, most importantly, love.
Waheed's poems on love are some of her best works that have moved thousands, particularly your fellow YourTango staff members.
And since we are gurus in all things love and zodiac, we thought it was more than fitting to highlight the genius words of Waheed on love.
1. "fresh"
"There are feelings you haven't felt yet. give them time. they are almost here." — Nayyirah Waheed
I'm sure we all have been there. However, Waheed gives us an important lesson when love first wounds us: Just breathe.
2. "heal"
"In our own ways we break. it is okay to hold your heart outside your body for days. months. years. at a time." — Nayyirah Waheed
We are human, and we feel. And, sometimes those feelings can be messy! It's okay to be a work-in-progress.
3. "name"
"You are a story. do not become a word. one word. because you want to be loved. love does not ask you to be nothing for something." — Nayyirah Waheed
Find someone who treats you like you are extraordinary, not merely ordinary. You are worth far more than that!
4. "what does love look like"
"She asked, 'you are in love what does it look like' to which i replied 'like everything i've ever lost come back to me.'" — Nayyirah Waheed
Waheed's command to present abstract yet beautiful language gives me chills!
5. "this is how water loves"
"We return to each other in waves. this is how water loves." — Nayyirah Waheed
That is what true love entails, right?
6. "sojourn"
"Stay is a sensitive word. we wear who stayed and who left in our skin forever." — Nayyirah Waheed
People leave stains on our souls that we cannot always completely wash away.
7. "softer than before they came"
"If you are softer than before they came. you have been loved." — Nayyirah Waheed
Being soft is the greatest, most powerful strength a human can have.
8. "like love"
"You smell like love." — Nayyirah Waheed
Waheed writes with such a concise brilliance!
9. "the mourn"
"I am trying to remember you and let you go at the same time." — Nayyirah Waheed
Letting go of a past love can be incredibly difficult; however, the pain will fade day-by-day.
10. "ease"
"I am relieved when i see the feminine presence in a man's eyes. it means he is a peace i do not have to bring to him." — Nayyirah Waheed
The roles of femininity and masculinity must dance in precise balance.
11. "and what if"
"And what if i write of you. is that more love than you can handle." — Nayyirah Waheed
Writing is such an intimate process. Every poem is the poet exposing their heart to you.
12. "i look for you"
"I look for you in the middle of the light. in the west of the day. in the warm memory of the water." — Nayyirah Waheed
When you are in love, you do not have to go far to find it.
13. "home"
"There is you and you. this is a relationship. this is the most important relationship." — Nayyirah Waheed
You will know he is the one when he reminds you of home.
14. "may i tell you something"
"(May i tell you something) the word. they are in love with you." — Nayyirah Waheed
Spoken like a true poet. Waheed is simply spellbinding!
15. "flood"
"Chemistry is you touching my arm and it setting fire to my mind." — Nayyirah Waheed
Love is more than a spark. It is a fire that consumes us all.
16. "lighthouse"
"I am your friend. a soul for soul. a place for your life. home. know this. sun or water. here or away. we are a lighthouse. we leave and we stay." — Nayyirah Waheed
The love of your life will feel your best friend, lover, and everything in between.
17. "the hurt"
"You not wanting me was the beginning of me wanting myself. thank you." — Nayyirah Waheed
When love ends, it is important to take the love you gave to the other person and give it to yourself.
18. "in"
"I am mine before anyone else's." — Nayyirah Waheed
Fall in love with yourself before you fall in love with anyone else.
19. "reach"
"I wake to you everywhere yet you are not here." — Nayyirah Waheed
Missing another soul can be an experience that aches.
20. "nothing but endings"
"If someone does not want me it is not the end of the world. but if i do not want me the world is nothing but endings." — Nayyirah Waheed
Absolutely! Waheed is the priestess of self-love!
21. "second heart"
"The idea of a second heart." — Nayyirah Waheed
Only six words, and Waheed can make your heart stop.
22. "afraid of you"
"And i heard her say, 'you are afraid of love. but love is not afraid of you.'" — Nayyirah Waheed
Whether you want it to or not, love will conquer all of us happily.
23. "when we choose fear"
"I lied. i told you i was not afraid to love you. then i walked away. and i loved you. - i have spent my whole life alone. loving you." — Nayyirah Waheed
Many of us have made this mistake. However, it is important to move forward and learn from this silence!
25. "i reek of love"
"Whether with a lover or none. i reek of love. i stink of love." — Nayyirah Waheed
Oh, but what a beautiful fragrance love is!
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26. "the work"
"Your soul stained my shoulders. my whole life smells like you. this will take time. undoing you from my blood." — Nayyirah Waheed
Sometimes you become so connected to another soul that you fuse together. To leave the other is to undo the stitches.
27. "eyes that commit"
"Eyes that commit. that is what I am looking for." — Nayyirah Waheed
You want a relationship of a lifetime. One that doesn't change with the seasons.
28. "this is how you know"
"Some people when they hear you story. contract. others upon hearing your story. expand. and that is how you know." — Nayyirah Waheed
Find the one that loves you and your story. Find your biggest fan!
29. "the perfect date"
"Something as simple as the sun asking me out." — Nayyirah Waheed
Sometimes the best kisses come from the sky.
30. "their soulmate"
"I believe that everyone in the world. has one poem. that is their soulmate." — Nayyirah Waheed
I am sure for many of us have already fallen head-over-heels for Waheed's poetry! What an absolutely stunning author.
Love is life’s greatest gift, which is why people have a passion for love quotes - and we’ve got you covered. When it comes to saying “I love you”, the truth about marriage, or even finding the perfect love quote for your guy, we have all the cute (or sexy!) quotes you need.