"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I ... I took the one less traveled by ... " † ~ into the woods (for pam) long i stood, at the intersection where bright light and deeper shadow meet a spirit of adventure, and ne'er retreat will mark the path beneath my feet into these deepest woods of introspection into this realm of known and unknown well-worn paths and the road not yet taken both shall i choose, with resolve unshaken and try, within each moment, to awaken with all best measure of my knowing grown through leaves the sunbeams carry their energy and enliven each and every scene along this trail, the yellow, brown and green that 'til this moment stayed unseen were in these acts of grace unveiled to me on boughs above, i heard the calling of a lark that bid me linger long, to stay a while and vanquish every fear of light or dark for each reflected but a simple trial through which i trace an ever upward arc my journey ever onward, mile by mile joyful the heart that gratefully receives from timeless earth these gently offered gifts how high the spirit likewise upward lifts when outer vision also inward shifts under this blessèd canopy of leaves hark! unmuted, the morning whispers say : across these landscapes, spread your fervent toil in our plein air, our firmament of soil use colors bold and strokes of finely layered oil and may such efforts always guide your way on boughs above, i heard the calling of a lark that bid me linger long : i stayed a while and took in all the shades of light and dark that marked my passage through this holy aisle and through them trace an ever upward arc my journey ever onward, mile by mile rjh ~ † Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken" (Mountain Interval, 1916) artwork by pam, "into the woods"
