Everyone reads (or hears)

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

And they think, “Oh good for him,”

What a great decision!

He’s such an inspiration.

But that’s because no one bothered to actually read the entire poem,
let a lone the line just before the part about two roads diverging-

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:”

Ages hence you’ll tell it with a sigh?

“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.”

Why tell it with a sigh?

To me sighs aren’t about accomplishment or joy or pride.

Sighs are at best about close calls and relief

but more often sighs are when you know you’re beat.

Sure, the one more traveled has tamped down paths
and broken limbs, picked flowers or even occasionally some trash,

but roads less traveled by?

They’re the roads with bears and badgers and skunks

and evil clowns.

An evil clown can make all the difference.