The Swing

Sometimes I wonder why. Why the sky is blue for the most part, why not always a rainbow? Why the oceans are different colors from lakes and rivers, yet they are all interconnected, at least I think they are. There are a million "why" questions. They are never-ending. Just like the cycle of life seems to be never-ending.

I walk through the grass around the playground area and settle onto a swing. It is a decent day out. Not so hot, not so windy. Looking around, I see there aren't many people out. Idly pushing at the dirt under the swing as I stare at the grass in front of me, lost in thought. The last time I had been here was when I was a child. Other than some minor cosmetic updates, the playground has held up well.

Hearing laughter, I turn to see two children running across the grass with their fur-friend chasing behind. The small dog seemed to be loving the sound of the children’s laughter as he play-chased them. Seeing something move off to its side, the dog's ear cocked as it looked at the ever-present ducks waddling out of the small pond in the center of the park. I watched as the dog tore off across the park towards the ducks to chase them. The children now chasing the dog, laughing at the dog chasing the quacking ducks that are trying to outrun the dog. I smile, such is the life of being young.

Closing my eyes, I turn the swing in circles, the chains wrapping around each other. When it won't turn any further, I let go and feel the slight wind in my short hair as the swing spins me back to its rightful position. Feeling the little bit of a rush that I had felt as a child playing on the swings. The only other thing that offered that feeling, that adrenaline rush, is the merry-go-round. Looking towards that, I smile remembering almost flying off once when it was going too fast, and I hadn't been holding on tight enough because I was laughing too hard.

Pushing against the ground so I was slightly swinging back and forth, I looked out over the entire playground. Seeing the clouds hide the sun rays, causing a feeling of melancholy. For a fleeting moment, sadness washed over me. Sadness at what used to be and never will be again, at least not for me. Then once again the sun was shining brightly all around me as the clouds moved on. But it left the mood behind. Suddenly I realize I hear absolutely nothing. There is total silence. Looking around for the children and their small dog, I see that I am the only person in the park. The ducks are nowhere to be seen. Closing my eyes, I wallow in the silence, that feeling of being the only one left alive after a disaster.

Feeling a chill descend on my skin despite the warm sun’s rays, I shiver and rub my arms as if to rub it off. For a fleeting moment, I am freezing, then it's gone. The sun’s rays warm me, the rays dancing off my upturned face. I hold my arms out wide as I spin in the swing. Smiling up at the sky as I spin around. I hear a skateboard. I look towards the path leading into the park and see a boy and girl, young maybe teenagers, riding skateboards down the smooth pathway to the area designated for skateboards. They are smiling at one another laughing as they weave around each other, never wavering.

Slowing my swing to face them, I watch as they take turns riding their boards back and forth, trying to outdo one another. The boy slows down and does a handstand where the girl is sitting on the top edge of the slope and kisses her quickly before dropping back down onto his board. I smile at the joy that fills her face. He stops on the opposite site of the slope and sits on the edge, her turn. Getting up on the board, she looks towards the boy and blows a kiss before pushing off on her board. All of a sudden, she's lying at the bottom of the slope, her board beside her. He rushes down to her to check on her and she's laying there laughing, He leans down and kisses her before offering his hands to pull her up.

She takes his hands and lets him pull her up and hand her board before going back to his seat. She skates back to her starting place and flexes her hands before pushing off. This time succeeding in skating to the other side. Back and forth she goes, building speed with each loop. Then out of the blue she goes up in the air around his head, dropping a kiss on his head before continuing to the other side where she stops and smiles at him. He looks stunned, then lets out a whoop that she succeeded in the trick. He must be teaching her. She smiles at him and watches as he pushes off on his board and skates over to her, board forgotten as he hops off and picks her up in a big hug jumping up and down as her arms go around his neck and she laughs.

Letting the swing bring me back around to the direction I was facing before the skaters showed up, I feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. Faint memories of a love long ago. Closing my eyes to try to capture the memory, but it's too late it's gone already. Sighing, I push off and lazily swing back and forth. The cold chains in my hands as I kick my feet back and forth to keep the swing and myself in motion.

Seeing a car pull into the parking lot, I watch as a man and 2 children get out and walk to the basketball court. The male lied down in the middle of the fenced in court, staring up at the sky as the girl and the man bounced the basketball back and forth, idly tossing it towards the hoop. Sometimes, it went in sometimes it bounced off and rolled away. The girl went over and tried to get the boy to get up and play. He didn’t seem to want to, but eventually she persuaded him to. Watching as they played a game against the man, laughing and running around each other, I smiled. Wondering at their story. After an hour they decided they were tired and left, in a better mood than when they got there.

Spinning in circles, I looked towards the barnlike structure at the edge of the park where the maintenance tools were kept, thinking I saw something move. Watching it for a few minutes I didn’t see anything move. Chalking it up to my imagination, I moved side to side on the swing, instead of back and forth. Loving the feel of the swing moving me around. This feeling of freedom, of feeling carefree.

I see an older couple walking down the walk path towards the gazebo on the edge of the park in the small setting of woods. It is an awesome structure, placed so perfectly in the center. Made of all wood and with lights all around. There were 3 openings in the railing around the edges to get into the gazebo where 3 swings were facing the center. Spaced far enough that they wouldn’t touch one another. The center was a small wooden statue of a tree with a barn owl sitting on its branch, so perfectly carved that at first, you don’t see it, then it stops you as you realize it's there. It's piercing eyes looking out at you from its heart-shaped face. I watch as the gentleman held the woman’s hand as he led her into the gazebo and to the one swing that faces the owl. They sat close together, holding hands. Just swinging slowly and talking. She leans her head down on his shoulder for a little while as they just be together in the quietness, not needing to fill the silence with sound.

Seeing something move out of the corner of my eye, I look towards the barn structure again. I did see something. There was a shadow moving towards me. I squinted as if to try to see what was causing the shadow. There was nothing there. Then the shadow was gone. I rubbed my eyes thinking I was just tired. It had been a long day. Opening my eyes, I almost fall off my swing. Standing before me is what looks like an Angel. He smiles at me and holds out his hand, I look at it, not understanding. Then I realize what’s going on. It is my time. Then, as if in a movie, the memory of earlier that morning comes flooding into my head. I close my eyes as if to ward off the images of the car that slammed into me and killed me. Opening my eyes to see the Angel still standing there, his majestic wings behind him and a single ray of light coming from the sky above.

I stand up and let go of the swing. Reaching out, I take his hand and he smiles and nods. Looking around at the park, I realize the reason I had come here is it is the last time I remember being really happy. I step forward and am startled by something behind me. I glance back and see wings. My wings. I look at the Angel and he smiles again. I smile and step forward, feeling so light. One step at a time towards the light.