The Dirigible Balloon
Poetry for Children

Swifts

a poem inspired by Mykola Leontovych
Listen to the poem ...
leaves on a tree
fine canopy
sway in the breeze
waving at me
green, red and gold
there to behold
sweeping the sky
branches unfold

swifts in the air
swifts everywhere
high overhead
wing and a prayer
see how they climb
higher each time
soaring with skill
graceful sublime

insects below
zip to and fro
quite unaware
little they know
then from the sky
blink of an eye
swift after swift
earthward they fly

screaming they zing
bloodcurdling
chasing their prey
on crescent wing
skim through the trees
each gap a squeeze
clean and precise
riding the breeze

swifts in the air
insects beware
up and below
see how they dare
where, when and why
ought we to fly
we could be swifts
both you and I

About the Writer


Jonathan Humble

Jonathan lives in Cumbria. His work has been published online and in print in a number of magazines and anthologies. His first collection of poetry, My Camel's Name Is Brian, was published by TMB Books in 2015. His second poetry book, Fledge came out in 2020 through Maytree Press. His poems for children have been shortlisted and highly commended in the Caterpillar and Yorkmix poetry competitions and he is the editor of The Dirigible Balloon. His poems Masterclass and This Work is Done were chosen as the Milk House Poem of the Year at the end of 2022 and 2023.