Neurology | Freud was a neurologist

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(Cindy Sherman. Untitled #153)

autópsia

no sotão descobriu a outra
dor fantasma no frasco de vidro

o hematoma media 60 mm
lobo temporal

uncus, jamais vu
e cortes finos de parafina

lâmina de astrócitos edema

no microscópio
trombos, um feixe de luz

iluminava a sombra

autopsy

in the loft was discovered another
ghost pain in a jar of glass

a hematoma measured 60 mm
the temporal lobe

uncus, jamais vu
and fine paraffin cuts

astrocyte blade edema

under the microscope

a clot of blood, a beam of light
illuminated a shadow

Virna Teixeira

Translated by Shelly Bhoil

The poem appeared in poetry magazine Zarf #13 earlier this year. It’s a poem I wrote some years ago, while still working as neurologist in Brazil, although inspired by my gradual transition to psychiatry and Jung’s concept of the ‘shadow’, here illustrated by Cindy Sherman’s provocative still.

MEMORY JAR

(Photo: Grayson Perry)

British artist Grayson Perry exhibited his work ‘Memory Jar’ recently at the National Portrait Gallery, a homage to an Alzheimer’s sufferer and his wife, Christopher and Veronica Devas from Dorset. Christopher was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008. Grayson spent three days filming them as part of a Channel Four documentary. He visited Christopher’s former place of work to understand better their memories and even spent a day sailing with the couple. Grayson’s perceptions of the loss caused by the disease during this contact were expressed in his artwork, where their old family photos are shred by a demonic figure called Altzy.

(Photo: http://www.londonvisitors.wordpress.com)

The documentary can be accessed in Channel Four website.

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