Juxtaposition

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference” (Robert Frost).

I liked my home by the pecan orchard. It hid under the shade of leafy branches, and I thought of it as a treehouse. I liked having a clothesline. I liked a garden. I liked walking to the neighbors, and how their children would come visit me.

Then I took the road less traveled. I exchanged quiet country paths for taking small steps on crowded sidewalks. The road led to an apartment building, to skyscrapers, bustling markets, to sirens, and strange languages. Trains and buses rush down this less traveled road. It is noisy and has bright lights. In place of bird song on this road, I hear the cry of the soul. Instead of the congregation of the saints, there’s a mission church of broken people.

God directed me to the less-traveled way. Because of him, this road has become home. I like it here in a city of brick and asphalt. I like seeing the cultures of the world dance around me. I like tasting the foods of many countries. I like hearing the stories of the people on this road.

“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.”

Berniece 11/17/2025

“This famous poem contrasts two literal paths, but the symbolic meaning reveals a deeper juxtaposition—the decision between two different choices.”