Tom Waits - You Can Never Hold Back SpringAt some point in the not so distant past, spring was a cause for celebration, a time to set to work, and a transition with obvious, tangible meaning. For us moderns, it can seem less welcoming and joyful. Doubtless, spring ushers indisputable changes of season. Warmth and rain, blossoms and critters. But it can all seem to make our own stasis more obvious, more dispiriting. Spring can engender a sense that we're standing in place as the stage hands change the background. It's easy to lose your sense of progress in spring, when the passage of time is so powerfully abroad in the world. With concision, wit, and brilliance, Tom Waits's "You Can Never Hold Back Spring" evokes the tragedy of spring, and repays the losses of time with the consolation of love.[Buy "Orphans"]This was written by my friend Sean Barry. Sean lives in New Jersey, where he teaches and writes about literature and culture.