3 Poems by Lyn Lifshin

HAVES

even lying down, a sea
of pine, red
birds, crickets

and your hands, the feel of
waking up in the
morning

bursting with haves


DECEMBER

night in
my blood,
brown berries

I should make
myself a
man of snow

these holidays
seem like
someone else's


MORE REASONS NOT TO

a sudden change
of climate

please don't
go the blue
air's full of
poisoned wings

wind's blown
bees into your
old love's
hair

whatever you
do there

you'll get stung


Bionote

Lyn Lifshin’s Another Woman Who Looks Like Me was published by Black Sparrow at David Godine October, 2006.. (Also out in 2006 is her prize winning book about the famous, short lived beautiful race horse, Ruffian: The Licorice Daughter: My Year With Ruffian from Texas Review Press. Lifshin’s other recent books include Before it’s Light published winter 1999-2000 by Black Sparrow press, following their publication of Cold Comfort in 1997 and 92 Rapple from Coatism.: Lost in the Fog and Barbaro: Beyond Brokenesss and Light at the End, the Jesus Poems, Katrina, Ballet Madonnas. For other books, bio, photographs see her web site:: www.lynlifshin.com Persephone was published by Red Hen and Texas Review published Barbaro: Beyond Brokenness. Most recent books: Ballroom, All the Poets (Mostly) Who Have Touched me, Living and Dead. All True, Especially the Lies. And just out, Knife Edge & Absinthe: The Tango Poems. In  July 2013,  NYQ books will publish A Girl Goes into The Woods. Also  just out: For the Roses poems after Joni Mitchell and Hitchcock Hotel from Danse Macabre. Forthcoming books include Secretariat: The Red Freak, The Miracle.  And Tangled as the Alphabet-- The Istanbul Poems from NightBallet Press Just released, the dvd of Lyn Lifshin: Not Made of Glass. Onyxvelvet@aol.com