MY ENCOUNTER WITH A TIA*
While working on a poem,
I got gut-punched by an eruption
inside my brain that unleashed
a kaleidoscopic waterfall
of blurred bits of letters,
and jigsaw puzzle images—
a mélange of birds and trees
that I could not piece together.
My vision, a nightmarish confusion—
unable to see my laptop keyboard,
I struggled to catch my breath,
wondering if my next breath
would be my last. Unhinged
from reality, lost in space,
I never felt so alone.

*TIA is a transient ischemic attack,
a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain
lasting less than a few minutes. (mini-stroke)
,