Notes About The Poem

the unimaginable


at the base of our brain lies a stem ~ ladybugs stray causing mayhem 

doubt sways in the ether ~ when lovers sleep and relationships teeter
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Goldsmith Avatar
February 28, 2026 at 9:45 AM
What a creative write/picture you have here. I enjoyed reading. I love ladybugs in my garden but Not in brain. Have a blessed day writing away................
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 28, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Heya Paula, don’t mind my ladybug, it’s just sewing a little surreal seed :) they are beautiful little creatures when not swarming, cheers David
Allison Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 4:42 PM
such surreal imagery - glad the ladybirds stay in my garden! hugs jan xx
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 28, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Thanks Jan I agree, and it is quite therapeutic to let them walk around ones hand, but perhaps not on our brain stems lol! Cheers David
Daniels Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Very clever Monoku, David. What crawls on that brain stem one never knows ! Glad it was only a ladybug. Sending blessings. X.
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Very true Ghairo! Although the brainstem in the picture looks more foreboding than that cute ladybug, surreal with wordplay, cheers David
Empress Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Dear david, This made me think deep, but the last line made me think of how fears and doubts fog my mind in dark circles when sometimes whoever im in a relationship sleeps early! Lol smh i know its weird. Many women have this issue. But fears are the main cause of all chaos, even in relationships and many other situations! I love your use of scientific terms. And the essence of the poem speaks about fears and how it works psychologically however I am not deep enough to grasp entirely what it says but ill take the sleep issue i had with guys haha lol take what resonates! Pleasure reading you today! Sending you light always
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 12:32 PM
You actually get this one a lot more than you give yourself credit for Ink, as sleep issues can be really troubling, those fears start off tiny, and one thing leads to another, til they become overwhelming and lead to panic, A lot of psychology going on in this one, I was unsure if the illustration was needed, all adds to the surreal methinks, cheers David
G  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 11:41 AM
(I have ladybird facts now. I actually did a school project on ladybirds when I was 8 and knitted a ladybird and made one out of clay and painted it - the fact is about vibrations though... too late perhaps, but not if I keep it in this bracket, it's like I just thought it, with my brain)... I feel I should explain - the presentation of my comments was part of my engagement with the content of the poem haha - I fear this is obvious to only me :)
G  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Haha fated that I would ramble until I had indeed set up the perfect groundwork for the line 'spot on' - what a team lol
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 2:06 PM
I just checked and you are (spot on) They probably bypassed Dublin City here, although it’s also possible I was mentally scarred by the plague, and have suppressed the memory, :)
G  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Apparently "in June 2019, a swarm so large it was detected on weather radar was reported in Ireland" it was UK and US I believe - they did briefly stop being so lovely.
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 1:37 PM
I apologise Laurentine I’ve created a monster for those that overthink about overthinking, I definitely wanted to keep a psychological edge, but sometimes they outgrow their confines! We didn’t get the ladybird swarms over here in 2019, must be all the rain!
G  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 12:59 PM
I remember the ladybird swarms of 2019 - scary times! I wonder if my overthinking about overthinking has the unexpected side effect of limiting my ability to think - something to think about :) (I'm coherent given a bracket - just need a safe space haha)
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Absolutely Laurentine no permission is given, yet somehow these ladybirds manifest from nowhere even in the safest of places, and lead to grotesque overthinking; Dammit now I’m thinking of taking up knitting lol! (You’re always safe within these brackets) Cheers David
G  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 11:36 AM
The brain stem doesn't ask permission... I'm spending too long thinking about this one - can I make a joke about this being a brain teaser? Do I lose credibility? Ahh no, I won't say it... I'm a fan of the word teeter. Am I just on autopilot - I'm going with the way people can pick up on physiological changes and react incrementally until there's a distinct vibe in the air and I'll go and research ladybirds senses now...
Rodgers Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Hello David, I’ve been turning over that image of the ladybugs at the brain stem. It’s a strangely unsettling way to describe how the smallest, most "innocent" intrusions can completely disrupt our internal wiring. It feels less like a poem and more like a biological warning that even our most stable connections are at the mercy of a tiny, stray thought "causing mayhem" while we’re most vulnerable. Being a therapist I can fully relate. Blessings, Daniel
Kavanagh  Avatar
February 27, 2026 at 11:55 AM
On the money as always Daniel, even in the most beautiful of circumstances a tiny stray thought can enter into the brain system and develop into a monstrosity, you certainly know your stuff, can you help out Tommy below? :) cheers David
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