Poem: Never Leave Any Poem Behind

Since 2020, I have been reviewing poetry. But I realize that far too many poems are being written and many of them are just expressions. What qualifies as poetry? Do they have to rhyme? How do I find my solace in reading poetry? What is the essence of the Ponder series?

Why don’t we try a poem on this?

Poem: Never Leave Any Poem Behind

I am not the laureate, just a seeker in kind
I promise you, I will never leave a poem behind.
Simpler words, and no meters or rhymes
The ways of the poetry of our times
No wordplay, no intellectual display
Simple writings on what we have to say
The wise frills and the flowery words gone
The hearts pour forth, like the lyrics of a song

Pressure cooker’s steam — life’s restless hum
Words of hope like the spring blossoms
The hot lava of the volcano to others
Sweet nothings, verses turn to whispers
Verses of anguish, words of salty tears
Cavernous words reveal the dark fears
Hope and faith, these words shall bring
Like the winter waits for the spritely spring
Written for yourself or written for others
These are gifts, the verses of here-and-now

I walk among them all, this garden full of flowers
Savoring the aroma, the beauty with endearing love
Their dance, shiver, and sway — I wait and wonder
Flowers growing wings, become butterflies that wander
The seven-colored rainbow, a sun-shined drop becomes
Blessed this moment, and every moment that comes
If life was good enough, and if Almighty is too kind
I promise you, I will never leave a poem behind.

~Ashok Subramanian © 2025