—for Al Cohen and Shenandoah Robinson
of the operating room,
after the patient, who
could be any of us, slips
into stillness, the neurosurgeons
begin their journey: they have mapped
the fine boundary between brain
and mind, navigated its sea
and land, which even in sleep
is active with fear or love. They
have re-imagined each peril, have
memorized the landmarks of this life,
knowing their careful work
may intrude on the most critical
thoughts: crooked roads run
between uncertainty and reason,
past generosity’s houses, thickets
of confusion, alleys of distrust, and just
before imagination’s forest, the sharp
turn and uneven pavement of a courageous
decision. We can learn so much
from them about the details that make
us who we are: the nest where inspiration
is born, the canyon where spirit
and imagination speak to one
another, and the sacred path
leading to memory’s archives.
