Swinging with God

Here's a poem I wrote in El Pino after watching a young girl on a swing:

It only takes a few pumps of the legs
and arms
and then you're off.

Sometimes,
when you're small,
a push from a parent helps.
sometimes all it takes is a friend
your same age.

Arms, legs, and body working together,
you ride higher
and begin to soar.

Then, you can relax into the rhythm
and enjoy your flight
on the wings of the spirit.

When you descend,
calmly
back to solid ground
and dismount--
perhaps with a leap of joy--
your life goes on
and the swing stays behind,
swaying
waiting to carry its next soul
to freedom.