Love from Robert Frost
From the moment I learned that words created the beloved stories I had listened to, I was fascinated with the concept of then putting them together to create my own stories. My 1st grade self especially loved the “story-writing” paper: a big space for a picture with lines my stories. (Remember those?) When I was in the fifth grade, I discovered with poetry. I learned that words didn’t need to create complete sentences to convey meaning nor were paragraphs needed when it came to telling a story.
In high school, I fell in love. I was introduced to the full works of Robert Frost and found such beauty in his work.
Over time, I veered away from poetry and once again devoured books that pulled me away from reality (mysteries, suspense, romance) along with those that thrust me into the minds of great thinkers (Covey, Brown, Allan).
This past year, I’ve delved back into poetry again. Rumi is the main poet I’m reading these days…. but all of the snow this week in Ohio has brought me back to those memories as well as the first poet I devoured and truly fell in love with: Robert Frost.
As there is a small copse of trees near the house and one of the most magical things I’ve watched this week is the way snow settles upon the bare branches of the maple trees and snuggled into the needles of the fir. I had to share this poem with you….
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
[hr]
Oh, how we’d love to explore those things that are lovely, dark and deep! And, of course, one of my all-time favorite final lines…. “and miles to go before I sleep.”
May you have the sleep of the angels on this winter’s night.
