It was a stormy day as I walked the shore and came across a simple rope swing hanging down from the limb or a tree. With the rope dangling in the water, it did not move with the wind but rather with the sea. I thought how sad it would be to be a swing with no one to take a seat and have the fun it was intended for. Then I was transformed in mind to my time as a child and the first swing I remembered. I could not be much more than four living somewhere in Virginia in an apartment made of brick on the lowest floor. We looked out onto a sea of grass and beyond the great wilderness made of trees. At its edge a man made path traversing Islands of humanity and of course intersecting the end of the street. it was there that hung from a massive tree a simple rope swing. It was hanging onto that rope swing I learned I could fly and it was at the bottom of the hill which dropped of below I learned that landing sometimes hurt and laying their looking into the sun and seeing faces I swear were angels I could not figure out why they said I was not dead. I know now it was because my bones was made of rubber back then.
As time passed I perfected the art of flying and landing of course all thanks to swings. But better than all those flights was my first tandem with I can not remember her name but I do remember the laughter and smile on her face matched mine. I guess that was where I got hooked. Swings to took on a whole new look. Oh God, you have let me see the simplicity of life once again all thanks to the swing. If I had another chance I think I would have skipped the soccer, football and baseball games and stuck with the swing and ran away with the circus and then I could have called it a trapeze.
But alas it did not happen and now in my later days, well with two bad knees and back that agrees with the right hip, I can only look upon this lonely swing and reminisce and pray that a child comes along and finds the same laugher and maybe not the splatter that I found upon my swing. Makes me also think maybe I do not have to totally give up as I did see a porch swing and I bet in my graying years and hopefully someone to laugh with a smile on her face as we forget about our years.
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