by
Charles Rafferty
The
Problem with Sappho
Only
one complete poem remains. The rest of it is berries left in the
bramble
after a visit from midday starlings. For years I couldn't
understand
how this redaction moved anyone to tears. She was a
dampness
in the matchbook. But the world is patient. Eventually the
diamond
travels from the mantle to the finger of the woman you love.
Eventually
the light from an exploded star arrives to confirm the
emperor's
power. It's clear now that a very old bruise can tell us how
hard
someone was punched. The detective solves a murder with the help
of a single hair. Archaeologists find a molar and build a face to
fit.
from The New Yorker 2/27/2017
