thousands of neurons electrically

chemically

sending signals to each other

millions of neurotransmitter molecules racing just beneath the layer of thin dura mater under your skull: these neurotransmitters run their usual courses, activating specific areas of your brain as you interpret

all

the data

mercilessly dumped upon you.

 

A flower blooms inside your head

 

you realize the fragility

of it all, the beauty,

the evolutionary miracle.

 

…

 

when i grow up

i want to become

a neuroscience researcher

an advocate for girls in STEM fields

wise and gracious

 

so i will work

i will study to make

these dreams

these chemicals

a reality