InnerSelf.com

"When I was 17, it was a very good year."
-- Ervin Drake, as sung by Frank Sinatra.

Remember when you were seventeen. In 1962, when I was seventeen, I did not feel that it was a good year. In October of 1962, the joy of my "seniorhood" was broken by the rumble of military machines making their way through my hometown to South Florida during the Cuban missile crisis. We were at the height of the "Cold War". I was encouraged to graduate early from high school because I was disruptive. To "Mature Me" I spent the rest of my 17^th year in Marine Corps boot camp. But 1962 was also the first time I heard Pete Seeger's song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" that became a smash hit for Peter, Paul, and Mary. I have learned and have forgotten the words to many folk songs over the years but I've never forgotten the words to "Where Have All The Flowers Gone". Perhaps it was this song that subtly sparked the anti-war demonstrations of the sixties and seventies. In retrospect it was the song that made it a good year.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Chorus:
Will the Circle be unbroken
By and by, oh by and by?
Will we gather on that hillside
When the full moon climbs the sky?

Verse:
There'll be dancin', there'll be singin'
As we raise our voices high.
As we praise the Lord and Lady
As we did in days gone by.

Verse
To the Old Ones, in the old ways
We will sing our songs of praise
'Til the hills and valleys join us
Underneath the midnite skies.

Verse:
In the old days, we were hunted
And so many put to death
In their prisons, on their gallows
In the fire's blazing breath.

Verse:
Though they killed so many thousands
Still our faith it did not die.
Now we children of the Lady
Meet again beneath the sky.

Verse:
Now we gather on the hillside
And we sing what's in our heart
As the Old Ones sang before us,
Merry Meet and Merry Part.

Chorus:
Yes the Circle is unbroken
By and by, oh by and by.
We will gather on that hillside
When the full moon climbs the sky.

 

Recently, I have become disheartened by events in the Middle East where 17 year old Palestinians blow up 17 year old Israelis and where 17 year old Israelis are building the world's largest concentration camp to house 17 year old Palestinians. Where HAVE All The Flowers Gone? Perhaps America could have done more to help?

I have become disheartened that the country I have served in uniform is waging perpetual war and can't find its way to lead world to peace. Such a shame John Lennon was killed. Maybe we could have "given him a chance" as "Leader of The Free World".

Surly we can change our behavior. But first we must feel remorse. Shall we take a moment to lament?

Let's update this a bit. So I'll just add my own verse to Pete's work.

But this is America. Still the home of the free and brave. We don't just cry in our beer. We do something. Anything, even if it's wrong. So, I am going to tune up and sing a little Phil Ochs.

And then...