The Circle Game
Happy birthday Calvin. You are twenty. The boy is twenty.
Here is a song for you by Joni Mitchell. . .
Yesterday a child came out to wander
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a starAnd the seasons, they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look
Behind, from where we came
And go round and round and round, in the circle gameThen the child moved ten times round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like, "When you're older" must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreamsAnd the seasons, they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look
Behind, from where we came
And go round and round and round, in the circle game16 springs and 16 summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels through the town
And they tell him, "Take your time, it won't be long now
'Til you drag your feet to slow the circles down"And the seasons, they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look
Behind, from where we came
And go round and round and round, in the circle gameSo the years spin by and now the boy is 20
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is throughAnd the seasons, they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look
Behind, from where we came
And go round and round and round, in the circle game
And go round and round and round, in the circle game
Listen here: The Circle Game
It’s so cliche, but I can’t believe it. Twenty is so much more grown up than eighteen. You are our adult child, my travel companion and duet partner. You are an amazing man. A musician, a scholar, a traveler, a creator, and a listener. I pray that your dreams continue to come true, that you always meet the right people at the right time, that you always shine your light and that your heartbreaks, although necessary, are few.
