After Effects

If this doesn't cure you of wanting to read my blog, I don't know what will. I was driven to write a poem tonight and, really - what's the point of a blog if you can't publish your own poetry on it? I tried to take an illustrative photograph but by the time I finished the poem, it was dark and time to pick my daughter up from choir.

As a child I was only free

when I sang

and

when I swung.

Tonight I found a swing set in the back of a school –

…waiting for me.

I ran first, because I’m grown-up and must do such things to be healthy.

But -

then I climbed on the swing.

I wasn’t as brave as I was as a child. I didn’t lean back nearly as far as I used to dare – but I did watch the clouds overhead before closing my eyes.

And relishing the breeze.

For three minutes I pretended to be a bird….

And I was surprised to see that it took twelve minutes for the swing to finally stop after I left.

It just kept going – as if those three minutes mattered much more than I thought.

And the swing didn’t want me to forget.