13.
The rats that had been running through the maze,
their brains watched by a scanner overnight,
showed the same patterns repeating from their days.
The researchers concluded that they might–
no, must–have been dreaming of the hunt
through wooden walls, and not the cheesy treat
that waited for them. Even a mere rodent’s
neural pathways are shaped by what they seek.
It isn’t news. It shouldn’t be a shock
to anyone who ever took a test,
or fell from a high place on a rock,
or lost a rotten tooth, or played a sport,
or showed up late and frantic, or got undressed
and went out shopping in their boxer shorts.
Earlier this year, I made a goal to write 30 sonnets in 30 days. Then I set them aside and didn’t think about them for months. I’ll post a few more over the weeks.