Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. |
96 years ago when Frost wrote this poem he meant it to be a gentle jab at his friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas who would frequently take walks in the woods with Frost only to complain later that they should have taken a different path than the one they took. Ironically it could be meant for anyone of us that, in spite of popular belief, enjoy spending time in the woods without the distraction of crowds, cell phones, computers, or traffic.
When you enter the woods life just seems to slow down, your stresses seem to disappear, carried away on the wind blowing through the leaves. Natures quiet envelopes you and overtakes you senses with the sent of earth and trees. Its residence, the cricket and bird, sing to you a welcome. Inviting you to stay and experience life a different way than the hustle and bustle in the world you left behind. Dare I say calling you back to life the way it was intended to be?
Two paths diverge in life, and I took the one less traveled by and it has made all the difference!
The fall is a great time to get outside. Experience the wonders that are out there, set around a bon fire drinking hot cocoa or spiced cider, find a new path to walk down, enjoy the cool crisp air of a woodland in full color, Gods gift to us before the cold clutches of winter take hold. Life is short; don’t let yourself miss the chances to really live!
