After his death, Lerner was named in Alan Kaufman's poem "The Last Emphysema Gasp of the Marlboro Man" while Julia Vinograd wrote the poem "For David Lerner: Death of a Poet" in his honor.
Following his demise, Lerner was mentioned in Alan Kaufman's poem "The Final Emphysema Gasp of the Marlboro Man" while Julia Vinograd wrote the poem "For David Lerner: Death of a Poet" in tribute to him.