I have read this a few times now and I have to say it quite impressed me, I would nominate it if I could! I like the melancholic tone, and I think the puntuation works well. Nice work experimenting with the title also. All round good language use and it stays interesting for the reader, well done!

'nothing else would matter
but those that curved my spine.'
^This was great, makes one think about how much this person has changed you, how much of an effect they've had on you. The idea of a curved spine makes it seem so severe.

'Be a traveler that needs no map
or a floating leaf upon this life's current.'
^This felt very poetic, like a quote by itself, it could stand alone and still have a lot of meaning.

It's really hard to cope with the feeling of someone being gone. I really felt connected to your poem. Nicely done.

Beautiful..I enjoyed the subtle tone, and the metaphors used. From beginning to end you held me, it's never easy to cope after losing someone. I found this piece flawless, brilliant work.
Take care

Metaphorically speaking, it was magnificent, and the deep raging flow made the words flawlessly brilliant.!! 5/5

"...all the may flowers have gone away..."
I love the way that last verse made me feel like I do at the end of an emotionally charged book/engaging film. Great work!

Wonderful.speechless writing.. great work. :) 5/5

Special piece here, Mai. :) there were numerous moments that captured me. Like: the tears that have not been shed, or, a traveller that needs no map. But I will reserve them some other time...

My first comment is that the poem seems to be a bit too stretched out for its own emotion, which delays the effect that it could bring. By shortening up some stanzas, you can then maintain the rhythm of the emotion and make them linger even longer for the reader.

From the very start, you have already grabbed the reader by their collar... "Now the miles are simply longer" - this is a very appealing introduction, I just need to ask why "a lifetime of a bird"?
- is their a symbolism here, that a bird which soares and sees more experiences in a day than a normal human being in his/her 10 years? Or is there something I'm not seeing here?

"my days are measured
to solitary nights, I confine."
^ I don't think these lines are that much needed. You can jump to:

Those laughs we laughed;
those tears we have not shed;
nothing else would matter
but those that curved my spine.

^ I took the line out because it merely says that the speaker spends his/her nights in solitude, which is a kind of reflective state (sad, sombre, solace - we don't know yet) - and that kind of personality is already felt in the above lines. I also took out the "succint moments" line because they just describe more the above lines, and I do believe they already speak such emotion. They challenge now is just to improve it.

You bookended emotions well by mentioning "laughs and tears" But you have a chance to reword them to apply more meaning.

"those laughs that we laughed" is a bit vague for the reader. Something like:

afternoon we spent on laughing,
tears we dared not shedding;
nothing else would matter...

^ just something to think about. Because you can actually insert little meanings in simple lines. Afternoon- is the time of day we are most active. Daring not to shed a tear means other things too (accepting pain, being stronger, etc). You may experiment with your lines.

Soar high, my little winged beauty.
^ To tell you the truth, I really liked this for the reason that it fits the following line beautifully. However, it makes the reader think it has some connection with the early lines "lifetime of a bird", which I believe isn't? Or is it?

"Soar high" is nice, by applying "my..." it then limits the audience, as if the speaker is directing a specific audience... like young children, or the like, maybe a significant other. But why then little winged? If that is, its fine, just be careful. :)

"Be a traveler that needs no map
or a floating leaf upon this life's current."
^ like this. I might slightly change it to "leaf gliding life's current" - it brings more action, as if telling the audience to challenge themselves, or to hold on.

It would be nice to just follow it up with "Then think of me" instead of plainly "think of me". - This gives a chance for the reader to allow themselves time to hold the imagery of your lines. But I'd probably insery a line space somewhere inbetween.

I'm not a fan of too many stanzas, but in your case, its acceptable; it's as if your poem is travelling in a way.

Think about stanza 3 if you feel like its significant in the poem. To me, it seems to distact the central theme

"And as my thoughts escape into tears,"
^ I like the use of "escape", as if by crying, we give our thoughts their calm salvation. I think its fine, but you may allow to insert an adjective beside "tears" to help describe the thoughts. Cos if one substitutes it to " escape into weeping" - then we would imagine the "thoughts" being that emotional and tragic, but if it were "quietly escape into years" then the meaning becomes different don't it? Up to you. :)

"that kisses my polka dotted skin:"
^ you don't need this line. It doesn't matter really how the breeze affects the speaker anymore, she/he has described it as "gentle" already. And why "polka dotted"?

the words in quotation is really a chance for you, the author, to express a part of yourself in the poem, and its a real highlighting moment. Good work and you may still come back from time and time to check and see if you can improve more on it. There's no strict bounderies in that part.

"all the May flowers have gone away"
^ gone away or bid farewell? It may seem as if the speaker has grown attach to such memories and it seems right for the memories to say goodbye atleast, instead of just "being gone" without any warning...

I like the ending. "and broken bonds lie." It does carry a sense of being unfinished. And its just nice. :)

Mai, good work, you've done the hard part, really. But there's still room for improvement, as always. But that's up to you. :)

Lovely piece. metaphors are good.. you know where to use that very well written... good work