To even blink at the thought. To swat
What follows, to befriend the fly.

A man selling newspapers talks of winter.
He wants us to be on time, warns all good
People of a sudden spontaneous shift in
Precipitation, to be expected in exactly
Two weeks. Many will miss it. I'll be
Watching from a window. What comes
About the sleeping seasons.

He has the sidewalk, she sees;
Loves what is good for the brain
And body. Nail that interview, friend,
Go home and memorize your history.

And what fright we feel, for all will be
Unnourished, lovely life till the day closes,
Unhinging and toppled as a long gone city.

Lisa Markowitz's poems have appeared or are forthcoming in such journals as Colorado Review, Interim, Mad Poets Review, and American Poetry Journal.