Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there's some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

This poem makes me think of my ancestors in the thick of winter on a long journey. I close my eyes and see John J Dillon as a young man taking time to rest during a long trip and taking in the moment. He is leaning against the cold bark of a tall hemlock while reflecting on the days events. Perhaps he is on a journey to fight for the rights of dairy farmers. He looks beyond the dark horizon and remembers his father and mother, makes a prayer and says "But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep..."