The Paper Swift
by Ciaran Parkes
One of the fastest
and lightest of all
birds. It’s made
completely of paper,
carefully folded. For centuries
ornithologists have studied
the exact twists
and creases that
give it life. Nobody
has ever managed to
create a living bird, to give
the final twist
that makes it come alive,
makes it fly. It’s found
wherever paper is, born
in libraries, in piles
of discarded newspapers,
remaindered novels.
It can suddenly fly out
from the pages of a book
that’s gone unread
too long. Its song
varies, depending on
what’s on its pages. Some
turn a headline or a piece
of dialogue into
a staccato song. Others
make self-help tips or recipes
sound melodious. Some sing
unanswered letters in
a plaintive way. They need
no food or rest. They only
want to be listened to. Specimens
have been found
in Egyptian tombs, alive
after millennia. Released
into the air, they beat
their papyrus wings,
sing in hieroglyphs.
Published on the Writory Wall.