Rotary Descent

A winged maple seed was wedged neatly into the mortar groove of the stone planter. Flat blade. Papery texture. I paused to inspect the angle. Step one. I braced my feet against the gritty concrete edge and clamped the seed pod firmly in my beak. One steady pull. It came free without tearing. Step two. I clicked along the raised coping until I reached the outer corner. Clean drop below. I shifted my weight forward and released my grip. The seed dipped, caught the morning draft, and began to whirl—a fast, uniform spiral. It spun in a tight circle before touching down on the flagstone below. Aerodynamic balance. Quite remarkable.