- A Perfect Circle of Sun. Chicago: Swallow Press, 1971.
- Aspects of Eve. New York: Liveright, 1975.
- On The Way to the Zoo: Poems. Tacoma Park, MD:Dryad Press, 1975.
- The Five Stages of Grief. New York: Norton, 1978.
- Rachel. Service-berry Press, 1979.
- Setting the Table: Poems. Tacoma Park, MD: Dryad, 1980.
- Even When We Sleep.Croissant Pamphlets series. Athens, OH: Croissant, 1980.
- Waiting for My Life. New York: Norton, 1981.
- PM / AM: New and Selected Poems. New York: Norton, 1982.
- A Fraction of Darkness. New York: Norton., 1985.
- The Imperfect Paradise. New York: Norton, 1988.
- Mother Eve. Dallas: Northouse & Northouse, 1988.
- Heroes in Disguise. New York: Norton, 1991.
- Pastan, Linda, Wear, Delese, Kohn, Martin. A Collection Of Poems Written By Medical Students 1989-1991. Rootstown, OH: Northeastern Ohio University, 1992.
- An Early Afterlife. New York: Norton, 1995.
- “Preface.” Angels at the Arno. By Eric Lindbloom. Introduction by Ben Lifson. New York: David R. Godine, 1995.
- Carnival Evening. New and Selected Poems: 1968–1998. New York: Norton, 1998.
- The Months. Chicago: Modern Poetry Association, 1999.
- The Last Uncle. New York: Norton, 2002.
- Queen of a Rainy Country. Poems. New York: Norton, 2006.