Today is my birthday. I have seen 87 of them so far, and expect to see many more, I have seen much in my lifetime; the Great Depression, the Hindenburg, World War 2, the atomic bomb, a president assassinated, the landing on the moon, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Hubble and the wonder of the stars at the edge of the universe. And many will see far greater wonders, for the swirling winds of time blow in directions unforeseen, and they pass us by and leave us with only memories of a mist-filled snapshot of infinity.

I saw the hungry armies of the men who had no work
I saw the silver ship fly to her doom
I watched the world at war and witnessed brave men go berserk
And saw that death was both the bride and groom
I watched Bikini atoll turn from coral into dust
At Dealy Plaza worlds came to an end
And swirling winds of time blew as the Soviet went bust
And life is born in stars as some contend
The swirling winds have always blown around man’s aimless trials
And will continue blowing ‘til the stars
Wink out in just a few short eons as the goddess whiles
Away the time in counting kings and tsars
Who think that they control the winds that swirl around their heads
Believing they are mighty as the sword
Not knowing that in blink of eye they’re taken to their beds
The swirling winds of time are oft ignored
Until, like we, the winds becalm and we stand face to face
With zephyrs and Spring breezes at our back
Propelling us toward what it seems is finish of the race
The winds we have but time is what we lack