You Are if You Care if You Are

People as monsters
(Only in the minds
Of people)—people

As people (only
In the peoples’ minds)—
And people as words

(By people, about
People, for people)—
Can you spot the trend?

What people are is
Something that doesn’t
Ever deeply change,

Something that flickers
When tilted in light,
Something that erodes

To something ghastly,
Or so it can seem
To squinting people,

To something lusty,
Hungry, creaturely,
Or to something said.

There are physical
Phenomena named
People—arguments,

Also about which
Phenomena count
As really people,

But the catch is that
Only people care
Who people are, what

People are, and which
People can decide.
It’s as if, say, God

Was the only one
Arguing about
Who or what is God,

Or if only ghosts
Considered haunting
Taxonomically,

No input outside
Of ectoplasm.
Well, maybe that’s just

People for you, hey?
Whatever they are
That other things aren’t.