THE MAD GIRL’S NOT SURE

how to write her last
words in the note
book it’s the last
page in, goes
back to the poem
four pages before and
reads “the mad girl
can’t deal with
competition,” as
“with carpenters” and
knows that couldn’t
be true, having
wanted so many guitar
players, men who
could use their
hands to make wood
sing, could use
fingers, not to tear
or rip or bruise
but build something
she could live in,
lie down in and
feel safe,
not that the floor
could slide a
way or the wood
rot where she steps

by Lyn Lifshin


*Lyn's website:
http://www.lynlifshin.com/books.htm