Echoes of the Past: Poems of Regret and Reflection

Welcome to our collection of regretting poems on 1LovePoems! Whether you’re nursing a broken heart or wishing you could turn back time, we’ve got a range of heartfelt and humorous poems that will make you feel seen. From regretting that last text to the one that got away, these poems explore the many shades of regret that come hand in hand with love. So grab a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) and get ready to indulge in some poetic commiseration.

Short Poems

1. “If Only”
If only I had spoken up
If only I had taken action
Now it’s too late to make amends
And I’m left with regret’s reaction

2. “Lost Time”
Time is precious, fleeting fast
I wasted it on meaningless tasks
Now I wish I could go back
And make the most of my sweet past

3. “Missed Opportunity”
The chance was there, right in my grasp
Yet I let it slip away too fast
Now I wonder what could have been
If only I had seized the moment then

4. “Unsaid Words”
Words left unsaid, thoughts unshared
I kept them locked, too scared to dare
But now I’m haunted by the thought
Of what could have been, if only I had fought

Medium Poems

If Only
If only I had spoken up,
When I had the chance,
Maybe things wouldn’t have ended,
In this bitter circumstance.

If only I had taken the risk,
And pursued my dreams,
Maybe life wouldn’t seem so empty,
And full of unfulfilled schemes.

If only I had said “I love you”,
When they were still around,
Maybe I wouldn’t feel so lost,
And eternally bound.

Regrets of the Heart
Oh, the things I wish I’d done,
But didn’t have the courage to,
The dreams I let slip away,
And the relationships I never knew.

The moments I should have treasured,
But instead took for granted,
The people I should have loved,
But instead took advantage.

Now I’m left with these regrets,
That haunt me day and night,
And all I can do is hope,
That I’ll make it all right.

Longing for Yesterday
I long for the days gone by,
When life seemed much simpler,
When I didn’t have to worry,
And everything seemed sweeter.

I miss the moments of pure joy,
And the laughter that filled the air,
When everything was a game,
And I didn’t have a single care.

Now I’m left with the memories,
Of what once used to be,
And a deep longing in my heart,
For a chance to relive history.

Long Poems

Regrets

I sit here, looking back at my life
Reflecting on all the moments of strife
Regretting the things I didn’t say
And the chances I let slip away

I regret not telling the truth
When I broke the heart of my youth
I regret not saying I love you
When I had the chance to

I regret letting fear take control
And not pursuing my lifelong goal
I regret losing touch with my friends
And not making amends in the end

I regret not taking more chances
And not valuing life’s fleeting romances
I regret not speaking up for myself
And not believing in my own wealth

I regret not spending time with my family
And not being there for them passionately
I regret not doing more for others
And not being a sister, friend, and mother

I regret the moments I wasted away
And not seizing the day to play
I regret not embracing the unknown
And not making the most of every moment shown

But alas, regrets can never change the past
And only how we move forward will last
So I’ll pick myself up, learn from my mistakes
And live my life with each day that awake.