Ballad of Johnny Philly

Richard Bogue is a long-time resident of Project HOME and frequently shares his poems and writings with the Project HOME community and with the broader public.  He recently wrote this poem, which he shared at a recent All Resident Meeting.  It is in honor of many vets who have come through Project HOME.

There was a guy named Johnny Philly

Who came to live at Project HOME;

He was a little guy (not dumb)

Who had a great big heart of gold.

At first Johnny felt anxious, nervous

With all the strange folk around

But soon people knew his name

And thanked him for his military service.

Johnny knew he needed help.

He knew he couldn’t do it alone.

He attended meetings, shared his story,

Inspired others with his courage.

Sobriety and pride were Johnny’s destinations.

He slipped once or twice, got back on track,

And achieved a kind of transformation

With which he felt at peace, calm.

Now Johnny has his own place

But he still comes back to Project HOME

To see his friends and gladly face

A family that showed him the way to grace.