Photograph by Seth Rader
The Swing
With aching limbs and clicking joints
I climb onto the swing.
I push the air with straightened legs,
And quickly gather speed.
A pendulum of sorts am I –
With limbs that ache no more.
The years recede as I gain height;
I’m borne, reborn, in air.
Now childhood dreams of long ago –
Heady, poignant, sweet –
Rush within, stir memories;
Ignite a sleeping flame.
A smile unbidden, curves my lips
As I recall the days
Of playground games and wobbly teeth;
The smell of just-cut grass.
My cares recede; I’m old no more
And all there is, is this:
The back and forth, the up and down.
The sun, the sky, the swing.
by Marija Smits
With many thanks to Seth Rader for giving me permission to use his amazing image.
The photograph above entitled ‘Sky & I’ is copyright Seth Rader
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sethrader/4714525527/
‘The Swing’ – a ballad – first appeared on the Swan Ezine website, where it took 2nd place in their annual poetry competition.
https://sites.google.com/site/swanezine/poetry-competition-results-2013