Girl on the Swing

I wrote this Freeverse poem as part of my BA Honors degree back in 2012 and since I have used it when teaching poetry analysis with my teen students.

The girl on the swing,    

Her cherub smile beaming.

Guardians entranced,

Displayed before them,

The epitome of innocence;

Their creation.

The girl on the swing,

Free play is hers.

Soaring through heaven,

On backs of unicorns.

She seeks realms of magic

And rainbows to climb.

The girl on the swing,

Dancing in circles,

Twisting and turning; giggles rise.

Whirling above them,

Brushing each golden leaf.

The girl on the swing,

With cycles; she follows the moon.

Once again lost in wonders.

Wonders of paths ahead.

Fantasies of girlhood demised.

The girl on the swing,

Touched by the hand of Venus,

Mars in motion beside her.

Butterflies perform a delicate dance.

Two souls intertwine.

The girl on the swing,

Covered in darkness.

Burnt, red, rusting chains,

Providing no comfort.

Her banshee cries resounding,

Betrayed by his venomous blood.

The girl on the swing,

Back in worlds of make believe:

She's chasing dragons,

Feeling fire on her breath.

Tracks of black before her.

Grasping euphoric heights.

The girl on the swing,

One last push;

Her ultimate desire.

Disillusioned, yet free now.

She flies, forever unreachable

Sitting on wings of a raven.

Author's Note

I never received feedback regarding this poem from an academic point. I'd like to know what others think if you would be so kind.

Reviews

[Rhia Barton]

Very nice poem, I love the imagery you give for the girl's adventures. In my eyes, this looks to be a poem about a girl who doesn't want to grow up? This is gonna get morbid but it looks like a little girl being forced to grow up too soon and, here's the morbid part, kills herself to go back to being a child. I'm fresh out of English Lit from A-Levels so that's where the morbidity comes from! I love the words that you pick and this is seriously something I would expect to see in an academic anthology - just like the GCSE one!