That little horse is so darn cute.

Stopping by the 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 is 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 always evokes images of the holiday season for me.  It brings to mind the frantic planning, the travel, the shopping and just general noise of the outside world.  Of course none of that is in the actual words Frost wrote, but we sense it because the woods are so quiet in the snow, the horse's harness bells ring out.  There's a special kind of quiet when the world is covered in snow, isn't there?  It's almost like everything is padded in a sound-proof room.

This traveler is expected someplace, yet he wants to linger.  Maybe he has to visit his in-laws and he wishes he could stay in the woods forever.  When I read this poem it feels like taking a deep, calming breath.  Next time I am standing in the security line at LAX, I'll think of it and try to forget the "miles to go before I sleep."

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels.