Finding Tranquility

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swing

Back and forth, forth and back,
Gliding in my friend’s handmade swing.
Pent-up tension, stress, and anger
Give way to calm and inner peace.

Back and forth, forth and back,
Kicking my feet out and welcoming
Sunshine on my face, breezes in my hair,
Nerves untangling, cares disappear.

Back and forth, forth and back,
Mugs of hot tea in our hands,
Listening to the birds chirp,
Watching the dogs snooze or chase squirrels.

Back and forth, forth and back,
Life’s simpler with certain people.
Talking or not, each with our thoughts;
Companionable silence soothes and heals.

The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it.  ~Author Unknown

34 thoughts on “Finding Tranquility”

    • I read somewhere that the best kind of friend is one you can sit with on a garden swing, not say a word, and come away feeling like it was the best conversation you ever heard. Our day was kind of like that — probably ought to pencil in more of them!

  5. Debby, this is beautiful and makes me feel calmer just reading it. I really needed to be reminded of the fine art of doing nothing and not feeling guilty. Love the photo and all it represents. It reminds me of the swing at our cottage where I spent many moments swinging and staring at the lake. Sadly,we had to sell that cottage last year but the memory is still very much alive.Thank you for sharing this and reconnecting me with that special memory.

    • You are so right, Kathy, that there’s a fine art of doing nothing and not feeling guilty about it. I think we get so used to working, to feeling productive, to scratching off items on our To-Do lists, that we beat ourselves up over doing nothing. But perhaps that’s when our busy brains need to re-charge! I’m glad I was able to nudge a wonderful memory for you. Even without your cottage, you’re able to revisit it and the feelings it evoked, all by traveling back in time — how cool is that?!!

  7. Debbie my friend, this piece was absolutely DELIGHTFUL! And I could actually feel the tranquility within each verse.

    There is something very relaxing and almost hypnotic about either swinging on a bench or rocking back and forth in a rocking chair, isn’t there? The movement is very theraputic.

    And I loved this….

    Life’s simpler with certain people.
    Talking or not, each with our thoughts;
    Companionable silence soothes and heals.”

    I totally agree! Sometimes sitting with a good friend without saying a word and just being “present,” does much more for the soul than speaking.

    Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful talent with words, my friend! Have a faaaaabulous week!

    X to you and Dallas

    • Ron, your words of praise are music to my ears — THANK YOU!! I was hoping I could convey the peace that comes from doing nothing. Not all the time, of course, for then nothing would get done; but sometimes. We all need a breather, however we find it!

      And sometimes, there’s really nothing to say except to relax and enjoy the moment. Good friends understand that and don’t clamor to fill every pause in the conversation. Words really aren’t necessary ALL the time, are they?

      Bless you, my friend, for understanding and appreciating how scary this poetry stuff is for me! Have a super rest of your week!

    • Not swung?? Oh, dear Professor, you must feel so deprived! I loved swing sets when I was little. We’d wind them up as high as possible, then leap off pretending to fly — what a freeing feeling that is!

      Now you need to find yourself a park, you know, and give swinging a try. It can be scary at first, but you’re a warrior and you’ll conquer that feeling. Watch you don’t lose that top hat though!

    • Me, too, Katybeth. Sadly, too many “modern” houses don’t have them (or porches, for that matter!). There’s little I find more restful than the almost-monotonous back and forth motion of a swing — say, I bet that’s why I love the ocean’s waves so much, what do you think?!!

  10. I spent a good bit of my childhood reading in my grandparents’ porch swing. And, at the marina I’m working in just now, there’s a swing-in-a-frame that’s placed on a common area that faces the channel. You can sit there, swing, and watch the boats go by, or the birds. It’s truly wonderful. Every now and then, when I’m walking past, I stop for a five minute sit-down, and just watch. No wonder I love my “office”!

    You really did capture the essence of swinging. Slow, steady, and comfortable.

    • What a wonderful office you have, Linda! I’ll bet more than a few workers would give their eye teeth for such a relaxing view. My late grandparents had a glider on the porch, and I rather enjoyed that (but something tells me reading in it would have made me dizzy, ha!)

      Thanks so much for your complimentary words — does my heart good, knowing I captured what I set out to find!

    • Why, thank you, Monica — yes, plenty of room on this swing for two of us (and there’s a handy-dandy cup holder on one side!) Glad I was able to transport you to a place of peace, even if it was only temporary!!

  12. Beautiful Debbie. We have a wooden swing in the front yard of our cabin and I can lose myself in the beauty of nature as I swing back and forth.

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