Being a teenager is swinging on a swing.

Back and forth, back and forth.

Your first couple of times swinging,

you need a small push,

perhaps even a lift.

Yet, before long,

you realize you can do this by yourself.

 

Being a teenager is the trouble you might have at first,

driving off the ground and leaning forwards

and backwards to get yourself started.

It’s the breeze rushing through your hair

as you pump your legs to go higher.

It’s the creaking of the rusted swing set

as you go higher and thrust harder.

It’s when the gravity does its enchantment

and a second after you’re up, you fall back down,

low enough for your feet to touch the ground.

It’s when, all of a sudden, you’re back up again;

hair flying behind you and in front of you,

creating a pinwheel kind of effect.

 

Being a teenager is swinging so high

that the chain holding your swing starts twisting and turning

and soon enough,

you’re whirling around yourself.

Sometimes, you go so high you jump.

Other times you go so high,

you feel like you’re going to take off with the swing set and fly away.

 

Being a teenager is the exhilaration you get

when you recline and let the swing carry you.

Back and forth, back and forth.

Touching the ground only for a second,

if touching it at all,

and always ending back up.

 

Being a teenager is jumping off the swing.

It’s getting back on to endeavour and jump farther.

You pump your legs and get higher than ever,

and then you propel yourself off

and for a couple of seconds, you’re just free falling.

Maybe you land on your feet,

maybe you don’t succeed, and you land on your hands and knees.

But despite your futile jump,

you muster all the frustration you have and turn it into vigor.

You get back on and keep trying

until you beat that record you set for yourself.

 

After you’ve gone higher than you ever have before,

after you’ve beaten all your jumping records,

and your muscles are all tight from swinging that entire time,

you slow down.

Your crazy, thrilling, tiring,

back and forth ride is ending.

The wind that almost took you away dies down

and you can touch the ground now.

Maybe you jump to end with a bang,

or maybe you stay on until the swing perfectly ceases.

Nevertheless,

the end of your swinging adventure doesn’t mean anything,

it’s always open for you to get back on and swing again.