by Rochelle Ratner
A lake suddenly disappears in southern Chile, and scientists are scratching their heads to find out why. It was a glacial lake. It covered five acres and was 100 feet deep. It was there in March, the last time rangers checked. Now there's a huge crater, bits of ice that used to float on top still visible between the rocks. There's been no earthquake. Nothing else to explain this. Experts from all over the world flock to the scene. She's in Arizona now, far from any water, safe. But she turns up the radio. She buys newspapers from other cities. She buys Spanish papers. She stays up half the night doing Google searches. She thinks of her father, and her best friend, and her best friend's brother.
Rochelle Ratner's latest poetry books include Leads (Otoliths Press, 2007), Balancing Acts (Marsh Hawk Press, 2006), Beggars at the Wall (Ikon, 2006) and House and Home (Marsh Hawk Press, 2003). She is the author of fifteen previous poetry collections and two novels (Bobby’s Girl and The Lion’s Share) both published by Coffee House Press). More information and links to her writing on the Internet can be found on her homepage.