Swings and Slides
And she likes to ride
on the swing and rise
higher and higher and
see beyond the hedges
and see houses and trees
and people passing
and wonders if it's always
so and as she rises higher
her hands gripping the
ropes of the swing she
feels her stomach turn
and turn and remembers
when her mother's new
boyfriend pushed her
on the swing a few years
ago how he would say
how high you want to
go Celia? and he'd push
her higher and higher
and she called out I'm
frightened slow me down
but he just stood there
laughing and waving his
hands and gawking at her
legs as she went up and
down and she tried to slow
herself down but he just
pushed her high again and
she said I'll tell on you
pushing me too high but
he just shook his head
and pushed her instead
and then once he felt he
wanted to he pulled on
her ropes and slowed her
down and put his hands
on her thighs and squeezed
and held her there for a
moment or two staring
into her eyes and said that
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poem by Terry Collett
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