292. A Three-Forked Road

I once stood before a three-forked road,

truly puzzled by which one I should take. 

All would lead somewhere different,

though all three appeared the same. 

It wasn’t until I imagined each differently,

that they no longer looked that way. 

I first noticed the road to my left. 

To my surprise, the path itself had been clear. 

However, there were predators somewhere near

as such a path led straight into a dark forest,

to where I may exhale my last breath. 

Turning to the path on my right,

I noticed that it, too, had changed somehow.

What I had thought to once be the clearer path,

had now been stricken by a storm of clouds,

clouds that I knew would never truly pass. 

I turned to the path ahead,

not quite clear as to what I would see.

A mist shrouded the path in mystery, 

and thus I knew I would never know 

what my future or yours may hold,

or if we could ever be together again,

wrapped around this emotional tether,

always and until the very end. 

And as I once had three paths to take,

I realized then that I still had three more.

Upon the three-forked road I swore

that there could be no left or right way;

Only could there be a forward way, 

or we may go backwards, or simply stay

the same, but always should we stride forward,

because that is and will always be the way.