Monday, October 1, 2007

One step backward taken - Robert Frost

Not only sands and gravels
Were once more on their travels,
But gulping muddy gallons
Great boulders off their balance
Bumped heads together dully
And started down the gully.
Whole capes caked off in slices.
I felt my standpoint shaken
In the universal crisis.
But with one step backward taken
I saved myself from going.
A world torn loose went by me.
Then the rain stopped and the blowing
And the sun came out to dry me.
- Robert Frost

I don't know where to start! This is such an amazing poem I can almost see the mudslide and feel his sigh of relief at not being swept away by it. What a picture of life choices. I think that this poem should always be read alongside his more famous "The road not taken".
I haven't been able to get this poem out of my mind recently, I guess it is because I feel like I am on the brink of some sort of change but I don't think I will have a choice about a path so much as a choice to how I respond. Like something is going to happen that I can either embrace and rush into headlong or take one simple step back to avoid the chaos.
Who knows, maybe I'm just making things up. Good thing I have this thought to keep in mind as well.

Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law"

1 comment:

joy said...

i love that verse from Deut. thanks for sharing.

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