The Trail Less Traveled Poem by Douglas Stewart

Today I dreamed of tall grass in a meadow,
Surrounded with trees,
The sweet smell of sage,
And wildflowers on the breeze.

The best horse I own,
And my favorite saddle,
I was riding with purpose see,
I had to find my lost cattle.

Up on the ridge tops,
Down by the river,
I strained my senses for sign,
And that breeze made me shiver.

For fall was commin'
And shortly the snow.
Now where in this hell
Did my cattle go?

See the young and the old are already
Down on winter range,
But the rogues and the outlaws,
They never change.

They don't conform,
Or fit any mold.
They're just like some cowboys
And their freedom they hold.

They hide out alone
In the brush and the briar,
Their freedom alone
Is their only desire.

Smart some would say,
I dare not speculate,
I feel sometimes
I can almost relate.

To the desire of freedom without chains that bind,
And the chance to make choices
With your gut feelings,
Instead of your mind.

To not always be politically correct,
Or when you feel that fire,
Just let it burn to see,
If you can live through the wreck.

Wake up one day,
Saddle up your horse,
Ride out of town
Without any remorse.

To climb a great mountain
Just for the view.
Not to look down on others,
Just do it for you.

See life just goes by
Without the slightest glitch,
If you don't ever try to ride
That horse you know might buck and pitch.

The easy or safe road is deep with ruts,
From people conforming
Watching life go by
Sittin' on their butts.

That road is too dusty,
And ruts to deep.
I choose a different trail
that's longer and more steep.

But view from here is
Second to none,
And if more people tried it
they'd think it's more fun.

Adventure around each bend,
This trail belongs to me,
I'm the only one on it you see.

Now this path I travel
It's not for the meek.
You must be ambitious and strong,
You won't last if you're weak.

I pass by others alone at crossroads,
They all have purpose
And minds that are open, not closed.

Come travel my path,
Just walk with a smile,
And see if you like it,
Maybe stay for a while.

But you will find,
A road of your own,
And you'll follow your heart,
Until it leads you on home.