Nature is like coffee, she wakes me in the morning with her vibrant fragrance, and I find myself smiling…
– Flo Li
I Took the Road Less Traveled
Flo Li , 2019
(hiking with the spirit of Robert Frost, poetry inspired by nature)
Crisp cold air, frozen earth, green grass covered in frost,
my finger tips are numb underneath the worn gloves;
seeking slivers of warm sunshine between dense branches above.
Last night, curling in the homely blanket,
scent of grandma’s rich chocolate chip cookies still in my pocket,
sharing toasty hot cocoa next to that bright dancing sizzling fire…
The old cabin often creaked in the winter wind,
but we never cared,
inside…
we always feel safe snuggled next to one another,
charmed the joyful air between our laughters.
Alone,
hiking through hard, rocky, uneven terrain,
growing cold, weak, tired, and wanting to give up…
l patiently took each step knowing I shall never return;
yellow leafed trees reached out their arms toward the road,
I smile knowing I shall never return as the same.
The road less traveled I have chosen,
“bon courage” they said, nodded, and walked away;
“not for the faint of heart” they said, applauded, and traveled another way;
gallantry is not found in rehearsing my pompous acts
but my abidance in the inmost tip of one simple fact.
I shall choose this road over and over again,
how this way leads on to ways
to sights no imagination ventured
as the masses only care to pretend.
I have no luxurious garnish to show when the society is clothed in twinkling aurora – like the emperor’s new coat…
I walk – my shoes are covered in dust…
yet, with each step, I have found something robust.
A solid allegiance,
timeless, formless, priceless verdict to trust.
Indebted to these arduous steps,
my pilgrimage guided me here;
hidden in the crack of old wounds and deserted sorrows,
lies my durable spirit – hidden, yet shinning so brightly,
only momentarily covered in rust.