Rarely do we experience those indelible moments in time that leave us dumb struck. But that’s just what happened to me when I saw this scene near Philadelphia. The carousel was large and loaded with an ethnic mix of beautiful children of all ages. The joyous harmony and peals of laughter emanating from this circle of life at its fullest was exhilarating indeed! It was enough to quicken the heart, brighten the mind with fresh perspective and make one wonder why we even have to grow up at all. I hope I have captured, in some part, the essence of the “Down Town Merry-Go-Round”
 

Downtown Merry-Go-Round             
Digital Music File 

I was on my way to my car when I heard
A musical sound that gently stirred
My heart with delight and I wanted to go
Right back there to where
That wonderful sound was coming from
So I took myself back to where I found
A sparkling load of laughing cargo going ’round
 
I stood and I stared in a trance like gaze
Too long since I’d been this amazed
I felt just like a little kid again
It was studded with mirrors and little brass rings
Over rainbow critters wearing beautiful things
Like a yellow bow tie
On the swan with the lavender wings

Chorus:

Up and down ’round and ’round
Went the young and old on the merry-go -round
The black and white, the Chinese child
A journey in harmony a little while
The world seemed like such a perfect place
Sun light bouncing off every face
As they traveled together
On the down town merry-go round
 
There was an elephant, a tiger,
A donkey and a deer
A polka dotted pig and a butter colored bear
Pastel horses wearing silver bells
A circle of laughter on the carousel
Pride was a poppin’
From the biggest to the least
A bobbin’ up and down on their beautiful beasts
As they traveled together
On the down town merry-go- round
 
Then it struck me clear as a bell
Why, life’s just like a carousel
Together we’re going ’round and ’round
‘Till one day the ride slows down
For the commoner, the king, the priest, the clown
A turn in time will come around
And we all step down
From the earth bound merry-go-round