Pendulum Motion

I walked past the front gate and followed the packed gravel path to the neighborhood playground. An empty swing hung suspended between two steel A-frames. I climbed the lower crossbar and stepped across onto the flexible rubber sling. The surface bowed under my weight into a shallow cradle. Gripping the cold steel chain links on either side, I leaned my torso backward and extended my lower limbs forward. The seat drifted outward. Shifting my weight on the reverse stroke expanded the arc by fifteen degrees. With each oscillation, the top shackles pivoted smoothly against the crossbeam. Momentum carried me through five rhythmic cycles before dampening to a rest.