The Heavy Pendulum

I shuffled past the front gate and followed the pavement to the small neighborhood park. Beneath the timber frame, a heavy black rubber swing seat hung five inches above the damp woodchips. I approached the hanging slab and gave the edge a deliberate shove with the rim of my bucket. It swept forward in a clean arc, reached its peak, and came straight back. The thick rubber collided with the front of my bucket with a dull, hollow thud. I did not blink. I locked my base against the ground and took the rebound without yielding an inch. It tapped me twice more before settling into dead stillness against my brow. A remarkably stubborn pendulum.