The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word COUPLETS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
O
U
P
L
E
T
S
More clues leading to the result COUPLETS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "poems" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case poems = couplets.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does COUPLETS mean?
COUPLETS noun- A pair of lines with rhyming end words.
- A pair of one-way streets which carry opposing directions of traffic through gridded urban areas.
- A pair of two mutually exclusive choices in a dichotomous key.