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March 22, 2017 / philosophermouseofthehedge

Swings over troubled waters

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Swings silhouetted against lake and blue skies with clouds. ALL rights reserved. Copyrighted. NO permissions granted

Thoughts silhouetted against lake and blue sky. (All rights reserved, no permissions granted©)

Swings let you ride the waves.

Open invitation to fly free from ground crumbling.

Into the wind. Towards, well, nothingness.

Restraints left behind – if only in the mind.

If only temporary.

Disengagement.

Have you noticed time disappears when you swing? 

Sometimes, like today, you just want to leave it all – gravity, sensibility, reality.

Clean clear break  – if only for that split second at the very top of that sweeping arc – free.

Before that backwards pull down.

Those chains restraining.

But that brief instant. That other worldly elation. That fling into the bright blue sky.

Enough to make you kick harder to get back there.

Story of humanity.

Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.

Our thoughts are with those in London and the families of the injured.

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(Also wishing to be safe and sound: Capone the dognapped German Shepherd in Aurora, CO  is cleared to return to his family – with manageable restrictions. Story here. Only a dog, but important to his family. Thanks to all who helped.)

Sometimes good happens.

Find a swing.

Dock at Clear Lake Park. All rights reserved. NO permissions granted. Copyrighted

A dock or pier will do if a swing can’t be found. A small finger into depths of water. An eyelash into the sky. Cloak yourself in their companion, the wind. And breathe.         (All rights reserved. No permissions granted.©)

 

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Filed under Humor

34 Comments

  1. The Hook / Mar 22 2017 4:48 pm

    When I consider London’s fallen souls I realize how important it s for all of us to leave our earthly bonds occasionally.
    Thank you, old friend.

    Like

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 22 2017 5:32 pm

      Hug those friends and family. And maybe introduce them to the swing of things.
      Always happy to see you around the playground! Thanks

      Like

  2. Anne Mehrling / Mar 22 2017 5:18 pm

    Yes! Swing! I haven’t thought of swinging since we pushed our grandsons years ago. I’m going to close my eyes and imagine it.

    Like

  3. Kate Crimmins / Mar 22 2017 5:52 pm

    When I was a kid I loved swings. That sense of flying in the air. Not it makes me barfy. Wish I could swing high again.

    Like

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 22 2017 7:50 pm

      We used to love the old old swings at small town schools or parks – they were so tall and you flew so high. Urban rumors whispered about one who managed to swing high enough he/she was able to go 360 degrees…never found proof of that, but we all attempted to recreate the feat.
      Thanks for taking a seat to chat

      Liked by 1 person

      • Kate Crimmins / Mar 23 2017 8:09 am

        I heard that rumor too. Sadly it didn’t work for me.

        Like

        • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 23 2017 8:40 am

          My big brother always smirked and said he did it at my age. (I hated that smirk) Did manage quite a few skinned knees jumping off the swing – free fall! (Mom hated that)

          Liked by 1 person

  4. PiedType / Mar 22 2017 7:33 pm

    What wonderful memories you’ve sparked! To swing high was to fly! My parents installed a heavy-duty playground-quality swing in our backyard (with five kids, it made sense) and I spent many hours on it, soaring like the birds — a moment at a time.

    Liked by 1 person

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 22 2017 7:46 pm

      Swings are like that opening sound of the airplane of the show Lost. Something very powerful that instantly pulls up memories.
      Those moments high in the air. Now those were a real wonder (and you probably had tall swings with long chairs – nothing was as cool as a big tall swing), Thanks for swinging by

      Like

  5. Carrie Rubin / Mar 22 2017 7:57 pm

    I haven’t been on a swing since my kids were little. But that shouldn’t have to be an excuse to use one, should it? Next time I’m in a park, I’ll have to hop on one! And ignore the weird stares I get…

    Like

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 23 2017 1:38 pm

      Everyone is 5 years old on a swing. Good times – ones that will fly you through the turbulent air. High flying waves to you!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. easyweimaraner / Mar 23 2017 12:48 am

    I hope we can swing over this difficult times…
    I’m happy for Capone…. and I wish the pup and his family all the best… it was great that his people fought for their dog.

    Liked by 1 person

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 23 2017 1:41 pm

      Pawing carefully down the trail onward.
      (There was an interview with Capone’s owners late yesterday…Capone saw his car and repeatedly pulled and nosed towards it – “Enough already. Get in the car. Get in the car. Let’s go home where my heart is.” Smart pup…..even if he is just a dog.)

      Like

  7. Jane Dougherty / Mar 23 2017 2:19 am

    Can I just stand on the dock and stare into the water please? Swings make me feel sick. There’s so much awfulness in this world you don’t have to look further than the end of the street. There’s a big group of homeless people formed living in the entrance to the supermarket car park and they have dozens of dogs and puppies. They are miserable, but they drink and they fight. The women who live with them get the worst of it. And the dogs. Last night I heard a fight that had spilled out onto the main street just beyond ours, and a dog crying in pain. So much ugliness and the blame is so hard to place.

    Liked by 1 person

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 23 2017 6:45 am

      Wandered over to the stillness of that part of the lake with Molly yesterday. Those swings facing the water seemed perfectly placed – to fly up in the air like a seagull. Free of the roughness and strife for a bit.
      Then back to earth to deal with it all.
      Thanks for sitting on this dock to ponder a while.

      Like

  8. memoirsofahusk / Mar 23 2017 2:23 am

    Thanks Phil, I knew when I saw the title. What a beautiful response to our tragedy. I wish there was a swing nearby I could fly away on… for a moment. After the shock, sadness and flood of empathy I found myself angry because the next thought was, ‘oh no, what will Donald Trump do with this?’
    What has become of this world of ours? Well, we lived through years of terrorism, bombings, shootings, assassinations, in London and elsewhere during the IRA years and we survived. So, onwards. And glad to have friends across the pond who have us in their thoughts. And ditto, by the way.
    Finally, hope you won’t mind, but here’s a relevant, simple poem I learned as a child, by Robert Louis Stevenson:

    How do you like to go up in a swing,
    Up in the air so blue?
    Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
    Ever a child can do!

    Up in the air and over the wall,
    Till I can see so wide,
    River and trees and cattle and all
    Over the countryside–

    Till I look down on the garden green,
    Down on the roof so brown–
    Up in the air I go flying again,
    Up in the air and down!

    Liked by 1 person

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 23 2017 6:41 am

      I used to recite that poem as a kid while swinging. – It was perfect (we used to have to memorize as schools felt it important to improve students’ memory as well as instruct about language, authors, and literature…real education)
      I too thought of the IRA era – and we survive. The strong British resilience is always admirable.
      I think we all need to breathe and maybe take time to swing a bit.
      Thanks so much for the poem – needed that!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Ally Bean / Mar 23 2017 6:26 am

    Good thoughts here. Healing ones… flying through my mind as I read this. Thanks.

    Like

  10. sportsattitudes / Mar 23 2017 12:24 pm

    Love swings…and love not only your text but your title. Troubled waters indeed. Good to hear Capone is back home. Proves in any given day, amongst all the struggles of life, one can find the light of hope towards a better tomorrow if one simply seeks it out. We will soar again.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Roxie / Mar 23 2017 1:20 pm

    indeed, a swing in a quiet place, so we can send our healing and united thoughts to GB. great tribute in tragedy, Phil.

    Liked by 1 person

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 23 2017 1:32 pm

      Sometimes the noise gets so chaotic it’s important to take a seat to find the rhythm again. Thanks for swishing by to drop a comment

      Liked by 1 person

  12. roughwighting / Mar 24 2017 4:31 am

    I swing as often as possible, which is never often enough. When my kids were little, I’d fight them for the swing (well, I let them win once and a while..). Now I swing high and lightly with my grandchildren. Yes, with swinging we can ‘let loose,’ be lighter, let go. Lovely poem. Lovely thoughts on a horrible London tragedy.
    I don’t get the ‘only the dog’ comment, though. Dog beings are just as important as human beings. None of us are ‘only.’ xo

    Liked by 1 person

    • philosophermouseofthehedge / Mar 24 2017 6:54 am

      That phrase was satire and ridicule used to reprimand the city council and agencies involved by the local reporters. “..not a wolf – just a dog” repeated over and over and over. To make a point. (Although there’s always a few out there who did sneer “It’s a dog. Children are dying…”)
      In any case, best to get in the swing of things! Thanks for kicking up a comment

      Like

  13. Rilla Z / Mar 24 2017 7:26 am

    Thanks for the encouragement! I love the quietness of swinging. It really does give your thoughts a break!

    Liked by 1 person

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