Poem/Song Changes

Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
share in a memory of gray,
wander in my words, dream about the pictures
that I play of changes.

The green leaves of summer turn red in the fall,
to brown and to yellow they fade,
and then they have to die, trapped within
the circle time parade of changes.

Scenes of my young years were warm in my mind,
visions of shadows that shine,
til one day I returned and found they were the
victims of the vines of changes.

The world's spinning madly, it drifts in the dark
swings through a hollow of haze,
a race around the stars, a journey through
the universe ablaze with changes.

Moments of magic will glow in the night
all fears of the forest are gone
but when the morning breaks they're swept away by
golden drops of dawn, of changes.

Passions will part to a strange melody.
as fires will sometimes burn cold.
like petals in the wind, we're puppets to the silver
strings of souls, of changes.

Your tears will be trembling, now we're somewhere else,
one last cup of wine we will pour
and I'll kiss you one more time, and leave you on
the rolling river shores of changes.

Sit by my side, come as close as the air,
share in a memory of gray,
wander in my words, dream about the pictures
that I play of changes.

Phil Ochs, Changes

The theme at Poetry Thursday this week is "changes", and there are probably few thoughtful children of the sixties (now elders) who can hear the word without remembering this magnificent and timeless song crafted by the long departed American bard Phil Ochs. If there is a theme for my adolescent days, this song is it - I listen to it now and remember fondly the multitudinous college discussions in the wee hours of the morning about peace, politics, the environment and spirituality. Still passionate (or crazy) after all these years. . .