"A Bowl of Spaghetti."
To find a connectome, or the mental makeup of a person,
researchers experimented with the neurons of a worm,
then upgraded to mouse, hoping to unravel
the millions of miles of wires in the human brain
that they likened to untangling a bowl of spaghetti, of which I
have an old photo: Rei, in her high chair,
intently picking out each strand to mash in her mouth.
Was she two?
Was that sailor dress from mother?
Did I cook that sauce from scratch?
If so, there was a carrot in the pot, as mother instructed
and I'll never forget, no matter which strand
determines ardor as a daughter's verdict.