荆棘鸟《Looking 4 a thorn tree》

There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life

more sweetly than any other creature on the face of earth.

From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree

and does not rest until it has found one.

Thensinging among the savage branches

it impales itself upon the longest sharpest spine.

And dying it rises above its own agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale.

But the whole world stills to listen

and God in His heaven smiles.

For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain....

Or so says the legend.

这是《The Thorn Birds》的preface，事实上它是我在高中时看过的为数不多的几本厚书之一。

当时的第一感觉，是刻骨铭心。是NOS杂志上的一篇文字让我重又跌落进那个被泪水泡酸的时空，一时神游千里，思绪万缕。

生命是一场轮回，很多东西，我们在代代相传，宿命似的，不可侵犯。若是刻意改变，像亵渎了神明而遭到报复，很多时候反而变得更糟。如果能够顺势而为，人生其实是温暖舒适的。

这需要智慧的积蓄，以一种从容的姿态去表达。时间是积蓄的载体。

时间真的可以覆盖一切。不管这种覆盖是全然一笔抹煞，还是淡淡薄薄洒下一层隔离带，都或多或少地带来镇痛化瘀，止血消肿的药效，仿佛被摄魂怪吻了一口，我们的部分记忆销匿了。

当红尘念眷、爱恨执着都随风而去，沉淀下的竟是一种对平静生活的渴望。这种渴望超越了对不堪往事的怨恨，是经历过后的尘埃落定。正如故事的尾声那样。