A Girl on the Swing

She sees the mountain
upside down.

With her long hair
sweeping the fallen leaves
she swings
like a pendulum.

From the lagoon at sunset
a hundred sparrows fly away.

Wishing them back
she whistles softly.
And downward
she falls into the sky.

Chungmi Kim, “A Girl on the Swing” from Glacier Lily. Copyright © 2004 by Chungmi Kim. Reprinted by permission of Red Hen Press.
Source: Glacier Lily (Red Hen Press, 2004)
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