Stevieslaw: Winter is coming

Even with the Flynn confession, we can’t manage much hope at Stevieslaw today. The Republicans got their tax bill through. The reconciliation with the House is bound to make the bill worse and this is just the beginning. Some time soon, the Repubthugs will be shocked to find the country has no money. Entitlements—medicare and social security—will be on the chopping block. The safety net—such as it is—will evaporate for our children and our children’s children.

I can’t help feeling that my generation—the baby boomers, the Age of Aquarius-ers has failed dismally. Remember back when we were going to change the world?

In the words of Graham Nash—“we can change the world rearrange the world, it’s dying to get better”
I remember singing that song, in the dark time after Chicago and the Kent State killings. We not only believed we’d change the world, we believed we’d make it better.

Here is the lyrics to one of my favorite songs for this time of the year—Urge for Going (Tom Rush via Joni Mitchell). Reading it, you can come away with great hope or great despair. Life-like in that.

And I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky and gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold
And shivering trees are standing in a naked row
I get the urge for going but I never seem to goAnd I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down winter’s closing in

I had a girl in summertime with summer colored skin
And not another man in town my darling’s heart could win
But when the leaves fell trembling down
And bully winds did rub their face down in the snow
She got the urge for going I had to let her go
She got the urge for going when the meadow grass was turning brown
And summertime was falling down and winters closing in

Now the warriors of winter they give a cold triumphant shout
All that stays is dying all that lives is getting out
See the geese in chevron flight
Flapping and a-racin on before the snow
Got the urge for going they’ve got the wings to go
And they get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter’s closing in

I’ll ply the fire with kindling, I’ll pull the blankets to my chin
I’ll lock the vagrant winter out I’ll bolt my wandering in
I’d like to call back summertime
And have her stay for just another month or so

But she’s got the urge for going I guess she’ll have to go
And she’s gets the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning
Brown
All her empire’s are falling down winter’s closing in
And I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down