three meditations on status migrainosus by marilyn schotland

​how do I describe this to you so you can begin to understand
that I c a n n o t compromise my sanity anymore and must learn to compartmentalize
and live with the clamoring in my skull.
 
except that describing a migraine is the clinician’s job. if we gave it to the poet, how might she respond?
 
case study #31:
my mind feels like it took a dip into the aokigahara forest,
but the skull feels like nick and jordan just met owl eyes in the library.
 
file #a246zyx:
herr doktor doktor, you keep telling me to express myself, so here goes.
the ghost keeps haunting the sugar bowl and reminds me it’s there with that imaginary ringing.
What did you call it? Sn Disease, also known as Tin Man Syndrome, cross-referenced as Tinnitus? 
that should be right, doktor.
I won’t have to get BOTOX® like my mom, right? it’s not that bad, but where’s my closed car when it rains?
 
pedagogic recipe for fried thoughts:

• take one (1) oz. of the mind body problem
• a dash of nerves
• three (3) slices of the brain.

 
in a mood that feels like drifting, throw the cutlets into a frying pan hot with oil,
sear and spatter in rosemary to linger with shriveled memories.
if to your taste, blacken it and then serve with edible flowers and sprinkled with gold dust
and 50 mg of ground up ibuprofen.

✱✱✱

Marilyn Schotland is a 19 year old student, currently studying art history at the University of Michigan. She spends most of her days drinking coffee and trying to keep her plants alive.