Paper airplanes

Last summer I was struck by an article in de Volkskrant on the collection of found paper airplanes by Harry Smith, which he collected in the streets of New York. It really moves me to imagine something as fragile and transient and at the same time very personal and human fluttering on the winds in busy Manhattan streets. And the idea of someone noticing this silent poetry and jumping in front of cars to snatch it from oblivion. Ever since reading the article I hoped to find such an airplane myself. A couple of weeks ago I did, while standing high on a ladder cutting a yew hedge. A pale yellow triangle shimmered between the dark green needles. It was already partly laced by slugs.