1672: Newton Puts Two and Two Together, Finally

It’s another dull day, and Isaac’s ticking away
the moments before he has to get out of bed.

The housekeeper left his breakfast outside the door
hours ago, a practice he insisted upon to avoid being

disturbed at his work, but regrets now that his brain’s
all but come to a halt. Principia blew a fuse,

the housekeeper’s husband says, though not to his face.
He hasn’t a clue what a fuse is, but hopes it’s not important.

The sun’s come out at last and he’s desperate for a pee.
He lifts the needle off the loop where it settled

after he drifted off, the scratchy whoop-whoop sound
like a heartbeat coming to a halt. He can’t remember

how long it’s been since he started putting that record on
to fall asleep with at night. Splashing water on his face,

he turns the mirror to better catch the light,
and it breaks right there in his hand.

Not the mirror; the light.