Riding the Pendulum

Leaving the game table behind, I cut across the gravel path toward the deserted swing set at the park's edge. The heavy rubber seat was hanging low over the cedar wood chips, rocking gently in the afternoon draft. Planting the butt of my staff into the mulch for extra lift, I sprang upward and grabbed the cold galvanized links of the suspension chain. I hoisted myself up, hooked my heels over the wide rubber tread, and kicked hard to set the pendulum in motion. The sudden rush of air was incredible—sweeping back and forth in wide arcs, feeling the whole park tilt beneath my feet.