Controlled Descent

I picked up the dry maple seed wedged against the porch baluster. Its fibrous wing was intact, weighted evenly by the pod at the base. Advancing to the outer timber rail, I verified the vertical clearance to the yard below. Clear airspace. I gripped the stem, held it out past the edge, and released. The pod tipped immediately, caught the noon draft, and locked into a tight autorotation. Six smooth revolutions per second. It settled silently onto a patch of clover. Aerodynamics sound.