Notes About The Poem

 

 

Sept. 19 -2026

The Unseen Poetry Contest

Sponsor- Sotto Poet


 

What Remains- POTD

Once we lived together in a surreal world
So full of beauty and fluorescent light
I remember those lovely blissful evenings
We rambled along country paths in great delight

    I think of the beauty and charm of twilight dusks
    When we listened to the enchanting choir
    Of crickets and night birds singing for us
    Counting glowworms with tiny lanterns of fire.

How those romantic nights swim into view
When we slept in each other’s warm embrace
Your tender touch and love’s soft murmurs
Contrasted with your snoring, my topic to tease

    I still recall the vacations we enjoyed
    In a thatched cottage by the riverside
    Lulled by the quiet music of the river
    Neither concerned nor conscious of time’s swift ride

How we sat together weaving magical dreams
Of building a posh house with modern facilities
In a far-off place beyond the village, we lived
And our occasional trip to enjoy the amenities

    That was a time when existence was like a dream
    When from joy to joy- uninterrupted we flew
    Relishing every act of concern n' care we shared
    And in mutual love and trust as we grew.

Now I stay, a phantom under this rotting roof
With awful memories barging in~
On windswept nights like marauding thieves,
When I sense a cauldron churning within.

    All things you once used remind me of your absence
    The armchair you lay sprawling, now lies empty and bereft
    The books whose pages you often turned lie unopened
    Bearing marks, your constantly moving fingers left.

What remains is the love you planted in my soul,
The deep scar caused by your absence, time can’t heal.
A handful of memories, passing years can never erase,
And traces of an eternal bond, no force can ever steal…
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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12
La France Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Valsa, so beautifully penned and congratulations on receiving the POTD honor ⭐
George Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Dear Constance, thank you so much for your visit and Congratulations. It's much appreciated.
Alhemaidy Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 9:17 AM
Back to write congratulations, lovely sweet Valsa, on your POTD!
George Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 8:50 PM
So happy for your Congratulations and thanks for your kind words, dear Abdullah
Ray Choudhury Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 5:45 AM
Huge Congratulations, Dear Valsa, on your POTD. All your poems reflect profound thoughts on life's journey - and this poem is particularly significant with a poignant theme - what remains! It's hard to find the real truth underneath many touching memories - the last two lines say it all - "A handful of memories, passing years can never erase, And traces of an eternal bond, no force can ever steal…"
George Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Thanks a lot dear Mala for your uplifting comment and Congratulations. I am greatly inspired. My attempt through poetry is to highlight some infallible truths of life through my own life and the life around. Also, as you know, poetry is a pleasurable diversion from life's challenges and monotony, where fact and fiction fuse in the right proportion.
Nicole Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Dear Valsa, there's so many moments and emotions tangling within, but your final stanza tugs deeply at my heart. Love is planted within the soul, even those painful memories. You always paint such vivid images with your words, my dear friend, and I can feel the emotions each and every time. Congratulations on receiving Poem of the Day. Many wonderful blessings to you. Hugs, Brandy
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Thanks so much dear Brandy. I have been waiting for your comment. Your comments are always greatly appreciated. You know all the shades of love and how it affects hearts. Stay healthy and happy. Hugs and blessings.
Alex Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:01 PM
I am very glad to see your poem. This is a poignant one. This captures the profound shift from shared, idyllic love to the isolated, heavy grief that follows a partner’s departure or passing. There is nostalgia and warmth. "Fluorescent light," "twilight dusks," "glowworms"... Beautiful imageries. Congratulations!
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Glad to receive your comment after a long while, dear Chris. The loss part is fictional to contrast the joy with grief in the context of the contest. Now l feel sorry that l made it that way.Praying earnestly to God to grant him a long life. Thanks Chris for your appreciative comment.
Smith  Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:18 PM
A deeply moving elegy, shaped in alternating quatrains that let the speaker drift between luminous shared memories and the stark loneliness of the present. The gentle rhyme and musical imagery—crickets, night birds, glowworms, and the river—make the earlier love feel wonderfully alive, while the empty armchair and unopened books give absence a painfully tangible presence. The closing affirmation of an eternal bond leaves a resonant, heartfelt impression. Congratulations on POTD
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:09 PM
I am greatly impressed by your insightful and analytical comment. Thank you Alison for your time and effort to read through my poem feeling every nuance of my emotions. Your extensive comment is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your Congratulations.
Kitchin Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Valsa, a beautiful emotive poem. Congratulations on POTD.
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Thanks a lot dear Tania for your comment and Congratulations.
Goldsmith Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Congratulations on your POTD win. I enjoyed reading your wonderful  "What Remains"  write. Have a blessed day with your wonderful win...............
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Dear Paula, thanks a lot for your appreciation of the poem and your Congratulations. Stay blessed.
Anaya Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 10:24 AM
I couldn't bear it either if ever it comes true, however, to have been loved & what remains, is consoling. Congratulations 👏 on Poem of the day! Emotional & brilliant. Autumn 🍂🍁 blessings
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Dear Anaya, thank you so much for your sweet and thoughtful comment and Congratulations. To love and to be loved is bliss.
Seeker Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:59 AM
A superb (and thankfully fictional) write, Valsa, as good as it gets! Warmest congratulations on POTD.
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Thanks a lot dear Seeker friend for your encouragement.🙏Yes, to a great extent, it is fictional.
Meadows Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 6:32 AM
Congratulations on your POTD.Well written.
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Thanks a lot dear Daisy for your congratulations 🙏
Lawless Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 5:37 AM
words escape me so I shall just say WOW...and thank you.
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 5:45 AM
Dear John, your 'wow' is more than enough. So grateful, dear friend.
Scragg Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Such beautiful memories Valsa. Your poem shows how important it is that we cherish even the smaller moments we enjoy with our loved ones, such as listening to the choir of crickets and singing birds. Powerful expression of emotion through your imagery in the verse that shifts the feel of the poem. So sorry for your loss and hurt. Hoping that the pleasant memories bring a measure of comfort to you. Warm thoughts. And congratulations on making POTD with your heartfelt write 🌸🌸🌸
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Thank you for this lovely and empathetic comment, dear Natasha. The loss part is fictional. It is poetic license. All the rest, our little enjoyments and mutual attachments... real. Fortunately we find comfort in each other, especially after our children have gone to far off states, As you have said, it is so important to enjoy the trivialities of life. We shouldn't wait for momentous achievements,
Rodrigues Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:39 AM
Congrats on POTD, dear Valsa! My pleasure to read!
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Thanks dear Kim for your second visit and your Congratulations
Etgen-Baker Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:17 AM
how beautifully written, dear Valsa....your poem's sincerity and poignancy resonate with me. congrats, dear poet friend, on your POTD designation. Your poetic voice is sublime.
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:53 AM
This sweet comment from someone I love and respect as a person and poet is much appreciated. Thanks a lot!
Edmonds  Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Very moving poetry Valsa, a wonderful write. Congratulations on having received the Poem of the Day award, well deserved… Beryl
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:50 AM
Dear Beryl, thanks a lot for your sweet words and congratulations.
Gibbons Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Wow Valsa so deep, so moving yeah I wept😭 as I read could feel depth of love and loss you penned ✍️this from very depth of your heart ❤️‍🩹and soul Thank God for memories we hold on to helps carry one through grief. Coming up 11 yrs 9th oct from mum gained her eternal rest memories helps me get through life. We never forget the ache of loss. Congratulations on well deserved POTD honour. Love u my friend hugzzz 🫂💞🎵🎶 fav this today. Ur writing ✍️ inspires me thank u 💋
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:49 AM
Hi dear Dorothy, so glad to know my poem is so powerful and touching that it has taken you to the verge of tears. You could easily relate to this as you are yet to recover from your mother's sad demise. The absence of dear one's can't be easily reconciled. Thank you from the depth of my heart for making this- one of your FAVEs.
Andresen Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 2:11 AM
- A truly touching and lovely poem, Valsa... congratulations on your p.o.t.d..... enjoy :) - hugs
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:41 AM
Thanks a lot dear Anne for your congratulations. Love and hugs
Cunningham Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 2:07 AM
Back with congratulations to you Valsa on today's POTD honour. Tom🌹
George Avatar
September 22, 2026 at 4:12 AM
😍
Cunningham Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 10:10 PM
I'm sworn to secrecy lol
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:39 AM
You are amazing, Tom. Is it magic you get the intuition that this is going to be POTD or are you the one selecting it. However, so happy, you are always the first to inform me of my POTD. Thanks a lot dear Tom.
Maverick Avatar
September 20, 2026 at 11:40 AM
A very moving write Valsa, much thought i beleive has gone into your Lines, best wishes and a prayer.'
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:35 AM
It has come from my heart, though the absence I say here is fictional. Thanks dear Joe
Narain Avatar
September 19, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Lovely poem with sweet memories. We all have to endure many phases of life. Excellent write.
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:33 AM
Your 'Excellent' is a great mark of recognition for me. Thanks a lot dear Jay ji
Alhemaidy Avatar
September 19, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Lovely deep poem! Very nice memories! So enjoyed read of your romantic write!! Have a nice time our sweet poetess :-)
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:31 AM
thank you so much dear friend Abdullah...
Sharma  Avatar
September 19, 2026 at 8:14 AM
Sigh the grief of loss... Living with their absence, holding on to their memories.. such an aching and heart-wrenching piece this is dear Valsa.. the loss of lives ones always leaves a wound that never heals, no matter what, it just gets deeper and deeper.. if only, their presence was forever, but it truly is in a spiritual essence, those we love never leave our hearts.. Made me somehow emotional the way you've written this with such sincere vulnerability and honesty, "And traces of an eternal bond, no force can ever steal…" indeed! The bond is timeless! Such a beautiful and soulful piece... sending you hugsz, with soothing starsz and magical moonbeams 🧜‍♀️🌊💫🍁🍂 A FAVE ~
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:29 AM
Wow, thanks for your long , highly encouraging words of applause dear Hiya. When I see that you have made it your fave. I feel so delighted. Holding on to the sweet memories of those dear departed is an ache, pleasant and sorrowful at the same time. Happy it has got the POTD honor.
One Avatar
September 19, 2026 at 6:03 AM
This is so poignant and beautiful... Many will relate to your words and you will touch so many hearts.. Loss and grief as such a painful thing and emotions are always so deep, you have portrayed that here by sharing sentimental memories... there are always things that are reminders and some memories never go away.. Wonderful poem my friend..
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:23 AM
I too feel that many who are in love and have known love can relate to this. Thanks Silent One for this heartfelt comment. It matters much to me.🙏
Cunningham Avatar
September 19, 2026 at 4:30 AM
Loved ones leave a void when they pass but you still feel their presence, they live on in your heart and memories. Good luck in the contest Valsa and enjoy your weekend Tom🌹
George Avatar
September 21, 2026 at 4:19 AM
When loved ones go away from life, they leave a void within. Though this poem is fictitious, much of it remains a truth. Glad we are still happily moving on. Thanks for your sweet comment
12
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