Ode to Amygdala
Sweetheart, you’ve been frightened
enough already. Don’t let anyone fool you.
Some of your biggest fears are dead
and buried; you can breath easier now.
Take slow deep breaths in,
slow deep breaths out.
Never has anyone worked so hard
to protect me. Granted, you did need eyes,
ears, nose and skin; yes, the heart helped too.
But you’re the gal with the oldest job
tucked away in the tiniest cubical.
The strain’s been a bit much for you, I know.
We’ve been close these years; I feel your pain.
People say you need a vacation
and, while I agree, I’m not confident I can
do without you. But it would be nice,
a little distraction, don’t you think? Amy, look!
Out there! A squirrel jumping from limb
to limb! See how it stops
and gazes back.
Idea from http://neurosciencenews.com/memory-fear-breathing-5699/
8 thoughts on "Ode to Amygdala "
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Sorry, I forgot to get my breath and breathe straight.
Interesting! I was writing about this the other day:
I know you’re just like me
Short, mean, condescending
When you see someone different
Your brain hates before your mind can say
Which I got from a book “Behave” about brain chemistry and function.
terrific poem…wise & smart-ass at the same time. Was reading that scientists removed a rat’s amygdala and it feared nothing…not even cats…which led to an eventual tragic outcome
Jim, we would be walking off cliffs, all of us!
Anthropomorphology! I love it, especially the “Amy”
My favorite line is “you’re the gal with the oldest job, tucked away in the tiniest cubicle”. Great.
Wow! Love the cleverness of this poem!! And the ending is so funny – and perfect!
Stunning, intriguing poem.