we make up all the words
we make up all the meanings
connecting neurons in each brain
what lights up in your brain
if I say sister, brother, mother
virgin, ruler, Islam, teacher?
every time a word comes up
connections can be changed
added, pruned, deleted, compounded
until a word sparks a rich spreading
firing of neurons on functional MRI
someone I used to know
says that college ruins people
says that now after telling me
how much he minds
that he couldn't go to college
I respond you can go now
you have money
you have time
there is nothing to stop you
shocked he says I don't want to!
I am ruined and very happy about it
I see people who hide in the bunker
in the algorithm hide out
so that ideas won't ruin them
they prune and prune the neurons
and refuse any new connections
you can see where that goes
I continue to be ruined daily
confounding algorithms
building new connections
enjoying the neurons lighting up
catching fire spreading fast, lit:
milky poured stars and galaxies on a very dark night