The Mind Is Its Own Place
Ann Townsend
Mated and unmated,
starlings swarm1 the willow2
with their devotions
until the tree roils
and sways, wing-beats
sounding the torrent
through which they swim.
Dopamine, paroxetine,
an injection of adrenaline
into the bloodstream:
these deliver the dissident
fuel I crave3 for the mind's
pleasure, and for its pain.
Call it one song indispensable
to trouble the branching
arteries4. The willow divinates
toward water, switching
in the breeze; it grazes
the edge but cannot
rest there. My fingertips
pressed against my temples:
ten points of sensation,
a vaulted5 cage where
starlings congregate
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to rustle6 their chaos,
their alphabet blown to bits
in the wind's rush.
Yes, you heard me.
Like an aviary7, Plato said,
the mind is full of birds.
1 swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入
参考例句：
There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。 A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。
2 willow
n.柳树
参考例句：
The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。 The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。 <a hrEf=hTtps://Www.EUZw.nEt/miniform.html>提分快的苏州初中作文阅读培训</a>
3 crave
vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求
参考例句：
Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。 You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。
4 arteries
n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道
参考例句：
Even grafting new blood vessels in place of the diseased coronary arteries has been tried. 甚至移植新血管代替不健康的冠状动脉的方法 都已经试过。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This is the place where the three main arteries of West London traffic met. 这就是伦敦西部三条主要交通干线的交汇处。 来自《简明英汉词典》 <a hRef=htTps://Www.EuZw.nEt/miNifoRm.Html>苏州初中语文补习</a>
5 vaulted
adj.拱状的
参考例句：
She vaulted over the gate and ran up the path. 她用手一撑跃过栅栏门沿着小路跑去。 The formal living room has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. 正式的客厅有一个壁炉和拱形天花板。
6 rustle
v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声
参考例句：
She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。 He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。
7 aviary
n.大鸟笼，鸟舍
参考例句：
There are many different kinds of birds in the aviary.大鸟笼里有很多不同种类的鸟。 There was also an aviary full of rare birds.那里面还有装满稀有鸟类的鸟舍。
《The Mind Is Its Own Place》添加时间：2024-12-14；更新时间：2025-03-09
