Swinging in Dixie

Swinging in Dixie

 

On a yard swing with hard messages

blowing backwards through my hair

I cannot stop to examine my feet

already plunging upwards above my head.

Instead I study the under surface of leaves.

The way they turn & expose

their pale bellies to rain.

There is a worm with a thousand legs

studying the bark of a great distance.

All but four legs seem useless to him.

He lifts the body of his others like luggage.

It is life, the way we are given

too much to carry with convenience.

Today, I do not need my legs at all.

I have reached maximum speed.

I need only my hands for a slender hold.

I am flying into a disturbed melody & kicking

bitter notes into tall trees.

I am letting my head fall from my shoulders

& my hair drag the ground.

Reviews

[holly]

This is beautiful, spare and elegant - no word unnecessary, no image over-blown, no emotion over or under developed. Phibby, you teach the reader what it is to be involved but not over-whelmed by living. I love nature-oriented images and could see the pale undersides of the leaves as they offered themselves up to rain, and the thousand-legger with his useless 996 legs "like luggage." Thank you for writing poetry - I makes me happy and at peace within myself to read them.

[G. Cedillo]

this is majestical! the scene is set so well and all the unnamed sights and sounds are clearly understood (the rhythmic click of the swing set, the trees, birds, who knows what else). I love the message of the poem, the way its subtle and buried and not at all the most important aspect of the poem - "I cannot stop to examine my feet" - and wish there were much more.
maybe break into stanzas, hmm?
anyway, great read thanks for sharing --
g.

[Samuel Dickens]

After reading a couple of your poems and not commenting, (I'm not good at interpreting allegory or finding hidden meanings) I'll say that this one is very pleasing. Having swung on a few swings myself, it seemed pretty clear to me. You use words very skillfully.

[Emily B]

so much like flying that a body might forget to come back down . . .

lovely from tip to toe.

[W.k.kortas]

The act is so simple, the situation so commonplace, and where you take it simply defies description. If there is anyone, anywhere, in any venue producing better poetry than this, I double dog dare them to show it to me.

[Donald Meikle]

Now that Phib is laid back! ........... what zen masters crave to achieve ............ or is it stepping back to childhood? .............. It does incite envy.