John Thomas Dodds

A Journey Home John Thomas Dodds

The Journey Home, a narrative poem, is the story of Thomas (a dreamer) who sets off on "The Path", to follow the twists and turns of "The River of Life." Along the way Thomas encounters new companions and experiences, as well as discovering new ideas, questions and new learning. Some bring him feelings of warmth and happiness and others, fear and doubt. His ultimate learning comes when he awakens to find that love is always with you, even when you think you are alone. As with all journeys the destination is always the same, for whether we understand it or want to, in this present experience, we are inevitably returning to the source. Thomas's journey is one of initiation, curiosity, exploration and understanding. Dissatisfied with the way things were, Thomas set out on a journey to find a better place, a home away from home. "He was not running away from where he had been for he had come from a home that held his heart but felt he needed to explore, needed to venture beyond his front door." He carried with him in his backpack all the hopes and dreams a young lad could muster along with, as he was soon to discover, the fears and doubts that go along with them. Along the way he would meet Grandfather Time, the apparitions Danger and Delight, Mr. Crane and a Lady with the voice of an angel. He would walk in the shadow and the light and be carried along in the River of Life. Grandfather Time would teach him, "Everything happens for a reason, and in its own time." Danger and Delight would show him that "There were two sides to everything, and he could choose to journey, in the darkness or the light." And Mr. Crane told him, in a round about way, "He had to go his own route, following his heart as well as his brain." The question Thomas found himself asking over and over again, "Is it all about Love," was finally answered by the Lady with the angel voice.