Cool Birthday Poems

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Cool birthday poems are the coolest way to wish "Happy Birthday" to your loved ones. Choose from the cool poems on this page to raise the cool barometer of that special someone's birthday celebration.

By Kevin Nishmas
Updated: December 31, 2023

Cool Poem Collection

GOOD KARMA

By Kevin Nishmas

May you live a rich, long life,
Filled with joy, wonder and health,
May you possess gold galore,
The very least of your wealth. 

May your dreams be aplenty,
So your wildest ones come true,
May the good karma you deserve,
Come instantly back to you.

Happy birthday!

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HOW GLAD

By Kevin Nishmas

On your birthday every year,
I thank the stars you were born.
For without you in my life,
My love would be forlorn.

As each year brings new tests,
I know how glad I feel,
That you're with me every day,
Making my life more real.

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TIME TO REJOICE

By Kevin Nishmas

Now it's time to rejoice,
And wish you lots of things,
So, firstly, there's the happiness,
A birthday always brings.

Then, naturally, there's lots of luck,
And deep contentment, too,
And, lastly, all the joy you'll know,
As well-laid plans come true.

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GET DOWN WHILE YOU CAN

By Kevin Nishmas

There's no need to panic,
Getting older is not so bad,
It's not like you're dated,
So don't drive yourself mad. 

You're young beyond your years,
Flourishing in your prime,
So live and whoop it up, 
There's no better time. 

Celebrate your birthday,
Now that sounds like a plan,
Party all day and night,
Get down while you can.

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LIVE TO THE RHYTHM

By Kevin Nishmas

Embrace to the beat of your love,
Love to the song your heart sings,
Sing to the tune you must live,
Live to the rhythm you embrace. 

Happy birthday!

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LOTS

By Kevin Nishmas

Lots of birthday wishes,
Lots of birthday smiles,
Lots of birthday hugs,
Lots of birthday miles,

Lots of birthday candles,
Lots of birthday cake,
Lots of birthday parties,
Lots of birthday aches.

Lots of birthday vows,
Lots of birthday lore,
Lots of birthday love,
Lots of birthdays more.

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Classic Cool Birthday Poems

RESUME

By Dorothy Parker

Razors pain you,
Rivers are damp,
Acids stain you,
And drugs cause cramps,
Guns aren't lawful,
Nooses give,
Gas smells awful,
You might as well live.

Why "Resume" is one of my favorites: The "will to live" may not be the first thing you would think of adding to a birthday wish but it is a subject that, when handled tongue in cheek, can make an excellent birthday message, after all. In "Resume," one of my favorite cool birthday poems, Dorothy Parker literally makes a rhyme out of a list of suicide methods, dismissing each method as inadequate along the way, only to come to the conclusion that "you might as well live" (you might as well "resume" living). This is a cool way of telling a birthday boy or girl that life should be enjoyed to the fullest.

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DREAMS

By Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die,
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams,
For when dreams go,
Life is a barren field,
Frozen with snow.

Why "Dreams" is one of my favorites: Everybody has a dream, although most people do not make their dreams a reality. If you know anyone who needs a little push to pursue their dreams, send them this birthday poem. Why? Birthdays are the perfect time to send a birthday poem that cleverly describes what life is really like without your dreams to keep you sane and content. "Dreams" is one of those cool birthday poems that shows you the upside of pursuing your dreams by clearly (and lyrically) illustrating the downside of deferring them.

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WRITTEN IN A CAREFREE MOOD

By Lu Yu

Old man pushing seventy,
In truth he acts like a little boy,
Whooping with delight,
When he spies some mountain fruits,
Laughing with joy,
Tagging after village mummers,
With the others having fun,
Stacking tiles to make a pagoda,
Standing alone,
Staring at his image,
In the jardinière pool,
Tucked under his arm,
A battered book to read,
Just like the time,
He first set out to school.

Why "Written in a Carefree Mood" is one of my favorites: There aren't many poems that are positive about getting older. That's what makes "Written in a Carefree Mood" by Lu Yu the coolest of cool birthday poems. This poem is all about aging beautifully — not just gracefully. What makes "Written in a Carefree Mood" one of my favorite cool birthday poems is its playfulness: instead of looking at aging as the end of life, it concentrates on enjoying our time on earth, right to our last breath.

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WHEN YOU ARE OLD

By W. B. Yeats

When you are old and grey,
And full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire,
Take down this book,
And slowly read,
And dream of the soft look,
Your eyes had once,
And of their shadows deep.

How many loved your moments,
Of glad grace,
And loved your beauty,
With love false or true,
But one man,
Loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows,
Of your changing face.

And bending down,
Beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly,
How love fled and paced,
Upon the mountains overhead,
And hid his face,
Amid a crowd of stars.

Why "When You Are Old" is one of my favorites: I can't help but hear the John Lennon song "Grow Old with Me" in my head when I read "When You Are Old" by W.B. Yeats. But that's not the only reason it's one of my favorite cool birthday poems.  It works well as a birthday message because it's about any young couple looking forward to what their future together may hold (hence, my "Grow Old with Me" earworm). For this reason, "When You Are Old" is one the best cool birthday poems for your significant other.

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Hints & Tips

How do you write cool birthday poems?

The hardest thing about writing cool birthday poems is determining if it's, in fact, cool. Determining if your poem has the coolness factor is not the first thing you need to consider. What you have to do is gauge "how cool" you want your cool birthday poems to be for the birthday boy or girl.

Your first step? Before you write cool birthday poems, you need to know that there are many levels of "cool" when it comes to poetry, but only three that really matter here: 

• Uncool
• Cool
• Too cool

If you're looking for a definition of uncool, cool or too cool, you will need to look inside yourself for some guidance. That's because there's no one-size-fits-all definition for cool. Cool is something you define yourself because one person's "cool" is another person's "uncool." 

One of the best "official definitions" of cool I've ever read can actually be found on Wikipedia. Want to take a quick look at it? You should — it may help you choose the coolest poem on this page. Read the Wikipedia definition right now.

Below are my (subjective) definitions for all three levels of cool birthday poems:

• "Uncool" birthday poems: Poems that are cool for other people but lack the "coolness" factor (as described right below) for you (and likely for the birthday boy or girl).
• "Cool" birthday poems: Poems with the "coolness" factor — poems that both send a shiver up your spine and pull at your heartstrings (and are bound to do the same for the birthday girl or boy). This is the "sweet spot" when it comes to cool birthday poems.
• "Too cool" birthday poems: Poems that are so cool that they are "cold," lacking the sentimentality that can make birthday boys and girls feel special on their birthday.

As you can see, "cool" is something you need to define not only for yourself but also the birthday boy or girl. To choose the best cool birthday poems for your loved ones, you therefore have to select those that satisfy the cool barometer of both you and the birthday girl or boy (based on what you know about him or her).

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