-- The End of the Journey --

John Herlihy

While the beginning of the journey

Always comes at God’s behest.

The end of the journey

May not mean the end of the quest.

The beginning of the journey

Each an adventure of a rare and unique kind.

The end of the journey

Raises questions still lodged within the mind.

The beginning of the journey

Soon blends into the making of the journey itself.

The end of the journey

Always mingles along the way as a restive elf.

The physical journey

Made up in movements of the body whole.

The inner journey

Made up of aspirations drawn from the soul.

A solitary journey

That all individuals must take on their own.

A communal journey

Bound together by dreams everyone has known.

A linear journey

That moves from beginning to end.

Many steps to be taken

Strangers come and go, a few to befriend.

The beginning but a moment,

The end of the journey always leading us there.

If we knew what may happen,

We may lose courage another step to dare.

The emotional journey

Stirs an abundant wealth of happiness and sorrow.

The full range of emotions

Replace events of yesterday with hopes of tomorrow.

The tumultuous journey

Of love gained and of loved ones lost.

The enlightened journey

Offers knowledge that comes at great cost.

The spiritual journey

Finds passage thru the truths that lie within.

The highest journey

Seeks purity and perfection from the wages of sin.

At journey’s end,

The moment of truth has finally arrived.

At the horizon’s edge,

Nothing remains that can be contrived.

The journey’s quest

Into the tapestry of our efforts sewn.

The journey’s fulfillment

In the light of the soul finally made known.