My swing

My dad made me a swing and wrote the date on it with his welder. The frame was painted silver with a heavy chain and a wooden seat, and the date Dad made it – 1954 - engraved on the top bar of the frame.

I loved to swing for what seemed like hours and hours, making up songs as I swung. I used to be afraid that I would swing so high that the chain and seat would go over the frame. When my sister was big enough I was allowed to swing with her on my lap.

We moved to Goulburn in 1961 and the swing came with us. It was always there as part of our play. The swing moved twice more as Mum and Dad moved house and as my children grew up I delighted in seeing them enjoying my swing. All the grandchildren had fun on that swing.

When we were clearing out Mum’s house we found that the swing could not be moved out of the backyard; the neighbours had built a shed in the past 12 years that blocked our way of moving the swing. So we had to leave it behind and I hope that there are still young children enjoying the use of my swing.

(Creative Writing 18.5.12 exercise 4)
Write about a favourite possession from the past. (10 minutes)