THINGS THAT ARE AND ARE NOT POEMS things that kill us things that we wish were done things that reveal our better nature things that with their innocence send up a fresh scent from the forest floor's decay things that are lies things that fall things that cower things that make us smile things that make us imagine they are something else things that howl things that bleed things that suckle things that enter us things that shine and then darken things that approach things that can be worshipped without end things that compell a life of study things that are cool to the touch things that vibrate a pathway over our nerves things that we can know only from memory or imagination things that we resist things that excite the doctors or make them cry things that are wrapped around something else things that overcome us things that are less than what they were things that grow and must be cared for things that have no value things that we have known since we were children things that hurt our feet things that come out of our bodies things that reflect things that love things that arch things that are the same as other things things that we will never do things that stop