WORLD Poetry Day came and went last Tuesday the 21st with little or no poetry. As usual, the world was bombarded with too much noise, too many words, speeches, press releases, headlines, advertising slogans, problems, a slew of scandal, controversy, violence, and destruction to pay attention.

If a smidgen of poetry showed through the cracks, we could thank the songwriters who are as good a tribe of poets as we will ever be blessed with, considering the circumstances. When people complain that poetry has gone out of fashion, they forget that songs and their lyrics perform the same function of distilling an emotion in a moment in time, using the same medium of words a" and, hey, they rhyme!

Some lyrics have passed the test of time to become timeless classics, and I can bet more people know by heart the lyrics of their most beloved songs than those who can recall any line of Shakespeare or a favorite poet. (Off the cuff and without jogging my memory too much, Frank Chavez, lawyer, and Jake Macasaet, publisher, are two gentlemen who quote poetry to enhance their charm with the ladies, to put a point across, to be known as literate and maybe erudite. They can also sing, by the way.)

Just as movies are the books a" i.e., literature a" of modern civilization, songs are our poems. The immense popularity of songs and the relative anonymity of lyricists are a quirk in the realm of celebrity where pop stars rule the roost, but thatas not a sour note. Not many lyricists can sing or put on a show; not many poets are comfortable exhibiting their talent before an audience.

In poetry, a people encase their soul and deposit their dreams. What a pity that, at least to us city dwellers, Filipino poetry is not or no longer folksy a" for want of a better word a" as we can afford. In the next couple of weeks, as Holy Week approaches, the poetry of the "Pabasa" will intrigue the young for a few minutes and bore the uninitiate throughout the day, but it is living proof of the undying allure of words, lines, and stanzas that do not have to be understood to possess the power to touch the subconscious.

Poetry is not the work of poets alone, it needs the participation, the love and appreciation, and the memory of a people. It is not a work of genius for geniuses, it is for common people, for kings and peasants, for children to memorize and their elders to recall, quote, be inspired and live by.

Amid todayas information clutter and Internet chatter, the future of poetry looks even more fragile. Ironically, technology makes it possible for songs a" those with memorable lyrics a" to gain and sustain an ever-enlarging global audience. The lyricist/poet is not about to lose his voice: It canat be louder than the bad news, but it wonat be muted.