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The Empty Swings


The playground is empty,
The children all gone
Only a half-hearted wind
Hums the carousel's song.

Where are they now?
Those friends from my boyhood
That merry band of kids
All wanting to be Robin Hood
Or Hi-Ho-ing Silver
In a white hat and mask
Hoping not to be asked, to be Tonto.

Where are they now?
Those loud red McKenzies,
The Allens, the Grahams
The fiercest of enemies?
Battles on roundabouts,
Fisticuffs on the slide,
Scraped elbows, cut knees, but no one dared cry.

Where is she now?
My first love of many
Who'd show you her knickers
If you gave her two pennies.
Who said: There's no Santa,
Sent me home, despairing,
I heard yesterday: in a posh house in Wearing.

Where are they now?
My childish blood-oath kin
Playing tag on the see-saw
Flying high on the swings
Until the call from our mas:
'Tea's on, times up, stop yer play.'
Where are the now? Whereabouts, today?

We all just grew up.
We all moved away.

Learn more about this author, Bob Mundle.
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