They say the past can often blur,
In collective memory, it may occur,
False recollections may take hold,
Yet let’s explore the stories told.
Berenstain or Berenstein, we debate,
In spelling, we fi nd a curious weight.
But textbooks and pictures, they remain,
A testament to the latter’s name.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Is it the phrase we all recall?
No, it’s “Magic mirror,” with precision,
The original line’s true rendition.
Fruit Loops” or “Froot Loops,” the choice is heard,
Cereal’s name, a linguistic bird.
Trust in memory or branding’s decree,
In perception’s world, which path shall it be?
These quirks of memory may beguile,
But science lends a reasoned style.
Our brains though powerful, can deceive,
In our intellect, we must believe.
No fractured past, no alternate track,
Just echoes of minds, moments that lack.
Mandela’s dance, a phantom’s embrace,
Unraveled now, truth takes its place.
-Arushi Bothra
XI S2
