Archive for October, 2006

“The Golden Road” Poem

In an earlier post I referred to this poem that I wrote in college.

~The Golden Road ~

Looking back on years gone by
We stop to think and wonder why
The joys of youth that we once knew
Have been sacrificed for something new.

The things we looked to with delight
Like summer days and moonlit nights,
Golden fields stretching far and wide,
And oceans that came and went in tide.
We wanted with the birds to sing.
Life was filled with pleasant things.

We were travelers on a winding road;
A road paved with the finest gold.
Trees and fields were on both sides,
And we walked on with playful strides.
We searched for the simple truth
Traveling on the golden road of youth.

We sought to find our fantasies.
Our hearts were filled with ecstasies.
We ran through grass up to our knees.
We longed for autumns bed of leaves.

When we had fallen to the ground
We got back up and looked around.
The words that quickly let us down
Were soon replaced with pleasing sounds.
The things we seemed to desperately lack
Were soon forgotten, and we’d bounce back.

We were travelers on a winding road;
A road paved with the finest gold.
We look back at all the trees
Depicting our fondest of memories.
We searched to find the simple truth
Traveling on the golden road of youth.

Joy and peace seemed natural.
We felt as if invincible.
But now we live in grave distrust;
We sense that we return to dust.

Time seemed like an endless friend,
But our friend now comes to an end.
The dreams we once looked forward to
Have dwindled to a meager few.
Imagination encompassed round,
But now, to reality we are bound.

We were travelers on a winding road;
A road paved with the finest gold.
We have seen and passed the final tree;
And all we have are memories.
We finally found the simple truth.
Thus ended the golden road of youth.

- JT

Behind the music

My first album, The Golden Road, came out in 1999.  Shortly after its release, a friend and benefactor of mine from a local radio station encouraged me to write a story for each song on the album.  In a way the stories are the lyrics to the songs. There is something unique about instrumental music, as opposed to lyrical songwriting. It allows the listener more freedom–freedom to imagine or remember the message in the light of his or her own personal experiences. For myself, I can only tell you what each piece has meant to me over the years.

The Golden Road is a collection of piano works that I started composing in my early teens, and it follows me through high school, college and three years of marriage. I think of it as a musical journey through my childhood and the experiences of growing up. Most important, these works accompanied my growth in an understanding of God and how he relates to me. I hope that you will be encouraged as you share my music and my stories, and that you, too, would come to some understanding of the intimate and personal God who I am coming to know.