The Weak Branch by Swift

Me and my cousin, Ronny, were climbing the old maple tree.
Mama had dressed us up for church.
My older sister, Nikki, sat on the grass, making a daisy-wreath.
"Ya know you shouldn't be climbing in your nice clothes," she said.
I stuck my tongue out at her, but she wasn't looking.
"We know what we're doin'," Ronny said. "Right, Anthony?" He smiled at me, his recently combed hair already had leaves in it.
I heard mama call for us from the house.
"Come on!" said Nikki. "Get down, we have to go!"
"Make us!" Ronny taunted, and we climbed higher.
"Fine! I will!" seethed Nikki, with one hand she held her fancy skirts out of the way, and the other grabbed a branch. She swung up into the tree and was making her way toward us.
My eyes widened. I looked at Ronny. "We're dead." There was no-where left to climb.
We clung to the trunk, prepared to go down fighting.
She got to us, at the top of the tree, she reached a hand out to grab my shirt collar. "Got you, Anthony!"
Her shoes, her fancy shoes weren't made for climbing, and suddenly, she slipped.
She tried to gasp, but her shriek swept it away.
The sound ended when she hit the ground.
"NIKKI!" I leaned way out to see if she was okay.
Snap!
The tree-limb broke.
And suddenly I was somersaulting downward, and with a thud my upper-back hit the earth, the air was knocked from my lungs.
I lay on the ground, gasping, while Ronny screamed "AUNT DONNA! AUNT DONNA!" in a panic.
Mama came running to the tree. She was dressed nice for church.
"Dear lord!" she exclaimed in a stressed tone. "I leave you alone for ten minutes and you go and try killing yourselves!"
"Wasn't my fault," grumbled Nikki, her face still in the dirt.
"You're alive!" I cried. My back ached tremendously.
"Yes. You all are." said Mama. "And unless you want that to change, you'll be getting in the car, now."
Slightly dirty and grass-stained, we piled into the car, grumbling about aching sides and hungry bellies.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" said Mama.
Dad started the car. He raised an eyebrow at mama. "So, Darling, how was your morning?"
We had a "cheerful" ride to church that morning, and told dad about my first time falling out of a tree.

The Evolution of a Knight By Raven, Magpie, Swift, Falcon, and Vulture

One copied the picture of a knight from a book, then another copied his picture, then another copied that picture. They thought it was fun to see the evolution.

The Corset by Swift

Closed Book and Open Door by Swift

what if i set down my book and walked out my door?
to walk onto the beach then along the blue shore.
if i were to swim and find the bull-shark's domain.
if i were to buy a ticket and travel by train?
what if i found a friend on my adventures abroad?
if we fought creatures, some dark, others sharp-clawed.
if i walked the world twice, could i see its age and grace?
what if we saw children playing, and  ran, joining the chase?
to travel past the moon and stars and hear the silence ring.
to dine with pirates, the dance with kings, to run, to joke, to sing.
what if we gardened with elves, and crafted with dwarves?
if we drifted down the river and-- what if.
now i drop my book and rise to my feet.
I reach toward the door.
what if?

Merfolk by Swift

lonesome tree. by Swift

a crow among the snow,
perched upon a tree.
the snow falls thick, and nothing can be seen.
the frigid veil isolates all.
the crow takes flight, it's black wings spread.
the lonesome tree fades in the white valley.
the crow, too, can no longer be seen.

The Bird Song by Swift

Connie loved exploring the caverns by her house. 
It always came with a quiet thrill.
She didn't tell her parents about her adventures, because they'd probably tell her she couldn't go.
She always packed extra food in case she got lost, though, she never lost her way.
She felt her way around the wet rocks, then, she was falling.
Only for a moment, then with a deep thud that knocked the air from her lungs, she was still again.
She felt around for a way up. How far did i fall? After a minute she realized, panicked, there is no way up.
She groped around a while longer and found a tunnel. She stumbled in.
She tried to keep track of time by counting how many times she'd slept.
After what she thought was ten days she had no more food. soon after, hunger clawed at her insides.
And still she wandered on.
By her twentieth sleep, weakness clung to her like a leach, always draining her.
But she crawled on.
She longed for the blue sky.
She longed for the sun's warmth.
She longed for her mother's bread.
She lie down to sleep, she heard something. beyond the trickle of the cave-water... she heard a bird-song.
She crawled and scrambled towards the sound, faster than she thought she could still move.
Her stomach ached and tears stung her face.
She crawled until it was not stone that her hand felt, but grass and leaves and cushioning dirt, but it was still dark.
"I suppose it must still be night," said Connie.
But as the bird sang and she felt the warmth she knew to be sunlight, the heart-breaking truth came to her;
she was blind.

Stone by Swift

a chill breeze greeted me on my walk.
the wind made the trees sway, grass rustle and water ripple.
the only thing unmoved by the wind was the stone by the pond, where the koi fish chased one another playfully.
wind can raise dust-clouds and banish storms, yet the stone was unmoved.
for some reason it seemed a bit sad.

Sea Stars by Swift

Since the beginning of the sky, stars have been born, and they have died.
Their voices chimed like bells.
Jack and Kymbran were two young winds who roamed the sky and guarded the earth.
They smiled at the world below,
but then the darkness came.
A monster towered over the mountains and covered the land in shadow.
He loathed the brightness of the sky and warmth of the earth.
He bashed and tore the stars from the sky, he rampaged and roared, he splintered trees and flattened hills.
The two winds were horrified as everything the loved and protected was split and smashed.
They ignored their shock and ran to help.
They tried to fight the monster, but they could do little to stop him as the stars crashed to the earth.
Some stars, when struck by the monster's mighty club, cracked like glass and faded to dust. others, fell fast and hot, burrowing into the earth, their corpses turned to diamonds. A few fell to sea, lights extinguished by water.
The winds were doing their best, blowing dust in the monster's eyes and knocking the air from his lungs.
Jack hit the monster's legs, trying to make him fall.
Kymbran hit the monster's large arms, trying to stop his swinging club.
After hours, the monster grew tired and pained.
He fell to the ground and his head struck a rock, and he caused the sky no more pain.
The sun began to rise and the two winds sat on the shore and wept for the lost stars.
But when Jack looked into the shallow water, he saw a curious creature.
Nine five-legged creatures basked in the water.
They were the stars who'd fallen to sea and lost their flame.
The winds smiled down at them, for they looked happy.
They named them Sea Stars and left them to light the deep sea.

the nymph met the pixie by Swift

the nymph met the pixie, and saw the pixie fly.
the pixie asked if she enjoyed it.
the nymph said she'd never tried.
she then covered the nymph in pixie-dust.
though, the nymph cried "ahhh! it's in my eye!"

Annabead String by Swift

she cut her own hair she made her own clothes

where she went in the afternoon nobody knows

unless she has to she doesn’t speak

the other girls whisper and call her a freak

though others were mean to her she never showed hate

and though everyone is special she was something great

you could always tell she was thinking but never what about

she always had flowing ideas when others had drought

she always had a peaceful smile on her face

she showed intelligence elegance beauty grace