This poem is a very thought provoking piece! On the face of it seems to be about taking the road in a sense of personal freedom and independence.

But a different reading is that whichever road we take it will make a difference in our lives. Perhaps it is the actual taking of the road – not which one is chosen? And it is the personal myths we create to rationalise the choice of road that colours our experience on the road.

At the moment we face many unexpected forks in the road – on global, national and personal levels. There is a lot of negative talk and negative thinking that is influencing creation of our personal myths.

I’m not buying into that. The decision has been taken – my personal myths are going to focus on creating growth and peace however that is possible in the circumstances. My sigh, when looking back on the roads that I’ve travelled, will not be one of regret.

The Road Not Taken

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.

Robert Frost