© 2011 Lyn Lifshin

I THINK OF KOBE BRYANT, THE ENORMOUS RING

I think of him begging

and begging, down

on his knees. Every

one supposes he must

have with the woman

who days later yelped

rape. I think of him

on TV with a much

prettier babe by his

side, but she's his wife,

probably wasn't that

skanky, more sweet

than a slut and because

the blonde's gone on

and hollered and Kobe's

under the knife, in the

spotlight, wriggling

from the law, he gets

his wife a 6 carat rock

and tho she'll probably

think of that other

woman whenever she

wears it, still it is

gorgeous as she may

feel she isn't with this

scandal going on

and if diamond can cut

anything that comes

near it, maybe she could

scratch what she

really feels on the

glass around his heart

SHE SAID DAYS

before he wrote

his words were

tangling, a tiara

in her alive,

alive with his

words, his touch.

Even on paper,

even years past

the blue blues,

transformed

but still like the

string of lights

near where she is

writing this even

after what they

were like jewels

for, sapphires

in the water's

darkest places

THOSE RINGS

a tradeoff, these

jewels on ladies

of a certain age.

Now past perfect

skin, past ivory

bisque with a

kiss of rouge.

At least they can

replace what they

lost with jewels,

rubies the color

her lips were

once, sapphire,

ghosts of gone

beauty. For years

their men could

not afford them.

But now, when

who knows what's

coming next

maybe it's time

to indulge in a

little beauty and

if the bright jewel

astonishes, draws

attention to

spotted skin that

isn't what it

used to be, some

of the diamonds

are so blinding,

all anyone can see

is their brilliance

All work is property of Lyn Lifshin.

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