My name is Sabrina Orah Mark, and I will be reading "The Experiments Lasted Through The Winter", which is a poem about searching for what is always missing.

The Experiments Lasted Through the Winter

We asked, what is this?  It rustled.  We dug a hole.  What is
this, we asked, a nocturama?  No, we agreed, the thing was
not a nocturama.  A nocturama is when you cannot catch
their breath.  We nodded.  We dug a hole.  Our white hair
warmed around the thing, we asked, is this a genesis?  No, we
agreed, the thing was not a genesis.  A genesis is when he 
sweeps across the water.  We nodded.  It rustled.  We stood
closer to each other, we asked, what is this, a stillness?  We
watched it from a distance, we agreed, the thing was not a
stillness.  A stillness is when their legs come close.  We dug a
hole.  We climbed the tree to watch it from below.  What is
this, we asked, to look at the boy?  We touched our 
instruments and agreed the thing was not to look at the boy.
To look at the boy is when there is no boy.  We dug a hole.
We weakened.  We could no longer touch the thing.
The thing, we were afraid, had lied to us.  What is this, we
asked, a father?  We dug a hole.  No, we agreed, the thing was 
not a father.  A father is when you raise the cloth to his lips.
What is this, we asked, we leaned against each other, what is
this, a war?  No, we agreed, the thing was not a war.  A war is
when you cannot hear the animals.