言詞構成思想。
嚴厲的暴君,象你監房的
清洗和監護。
他們放牧你的想象
走下敘述關係的彎道
等待用大鍛錘
敲打沒有認知的
認知要素進入知識。
是,緊固文法,句法的袋子,
聰明從胡言亂語橫跨一步,
就是一所舒適的
監獄。鏡子的鏡子。
而所有在囚禁中說出的
都被鎖在了秘密之外。

THE TRADE-OFF

Words make the thoughts.
Severe tyrants, like the scrubbers
and guardians of your cells.
They herd your visions
down the ramp to nexus
waiting with sledge hammer
to knock what is the knowing
without knowing into knowledge.
Yes, the tight bag of grammar,
syntax, the clever sidestep
from babble, is a comfortable
prison. A mirror of the mirror.
And all that is uttered in its chains
is locked out from the secret.

---by Ruth Stone
露斯.斯通為美國當代著名女詩人。這兩首詩選自於她的第九卷詩集[鄰近的星系]，該詩集榮獲第53屆被譽為文學奧斯卡的美國國家圖書獎。最近她又獲華萊士.史蒂文思獎，獎金15萬美元。