The Road Taken (OctPoWriMo Day 7)

Today the prompt is to write a poem sharing a road in life that I took and am thankful that I took, based on the theme from Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." Firstly, let me say that that poem has been an inspiration to me ever since high school. I think because I always knew my life would not be typical--that I would be following the road "less traveled by" and it really "has made all the difference."

The Road Taken

Two opposing paths, one of bamboo stalk
In contrast to the prairie grid,
So young, and desirous I did gawk
Down the foreign one and its long walk,
With thick undergrowth kept well hid.

I chose this other of tropic sun
and coral paths baked hard and fixed,
And Asian smiles speaking foreign tongue
With wonder greeting me one by one,
Acceptance and questions intermixed.

This lone path I took to heed a call
To teach downtrodden how to read,
To give identity-strength to all,
From nameless ones to proud and tall,
This my goal to plant a hopeful seed.

I traveled far to an unknown place
To give my life and love away,
But what I found from each stoic face
Was friendship, kindness, life and grace--
Now I view life in a different way.

(I challenged myself with this one to follow the same rhyme scheme and rhythm as Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." It needs some work but I enjoyed the challenge.)