The Swing Set
The Swing Set
By Kevin Robey
March 26, 2013
In a playground amongst the frozen wasteland
They swung together above the littered sand
He didn’t understand why she felt ok
Swinging in the cold, just swinging away
They didn’t talk as they swung away together
Despite the wind, she didn’t feel the weather
She swung for reasons he could never really see
He stopped and stared, waiting for her to speak
His fingers were numb but he didn’t really care
All she had done for him, it was more than fair
He owed her the world, led by her selfless example
He smiled as he realized this was just a sample
He sat and watched now, couldn’t swing anymore
But she kept going; weary legs begging for more
When her heart was blown out by the unforgiving wind
He stood, waiting patiently by to return the fire again
Tapping along until his fingers turned to stone
He promised her once she would never be alone
He was not here as a lover, but as a friend
Her heart returned it all, again and again
But he saw no smile as her momentum regained
Her vacant stare spoke softly of a dying vein
She didn’t know if she would ever see the dying sun
In this torrid family affair that she had never won
He felt the silent tear streaming from her heart
Same place as his, where they’d never be apart
As she slowed down, her feet dragged on the ground
Her smile unbound, with the love that they had found
She felt the pain everywhere at once, but still she smiled
She sat on the frozen ground, and there they stayed awhile
Noticing for the first time the barren wasteland of their hearts
Her world was a shattered wreck, but this swing set stood apart
The pulverized remnants of her distant childhood memories
Lay all around them like dreams made by her worst enemies
As he held her close to him, she nuzzled her nose into his chest
Reprieve from the surrounding chaos, closed her eyes to rest
Finally she stood up and asked him if he was ready to move on
When he said yes, they ventured into the world they had drawn
With redefined smiles they saw their futures intertwined
The unlikely survivors of their own post apocalyptic minds
Endless horizons lay ahead as they left the swing sets behind
He couldn’t touch the demons that waged war in her mind
So he squeezed her hand tight, and she did just the same
Into the world they went, giving every street a new name
[sitting on the ground next to a swing set in florida]
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