well all work is protected by copyright even without registration. if the poem has the copyright notice u could use that info to search

Meanwhile there may be ways to make an additional good faith search effort.

Also, there are lots of writers with worthwhile poems. We can’t always get what we want.

An escrow account might work for future payments.

After 10 years, i would argue that the amount due to the poem’s writer is nil if your song’s income has dropped to nil.

Publisher will know who owns the copyright which could be just about anyone not simply the writer.

Also, some may use your song without your knowledge to make money.

Much better to proceed with caution than be very sorry.

Better, find a local poet to write original lyrics.

When we know the distance to the end of the room
Colors start to shine like paper for the day

Our thoughts slow down like motion pictures we'll never see
Posted in the backs of magazines we'll never read

Waking to the moonlight with fear and then relief
Nothing's borrowed, only given

That's plain for us to see

For a while
For us
Just for us

https://democraticunderground.com/10355043