Circle Game

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 star Then 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 dreams And the seasons, they go round and round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on a 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 16 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 a 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 So 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 through And the seasons, they go round and round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on a 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