In its January 19th issue, The New Yorker published a poem by English Writer in Residence Lia Purpura. The text of Purpura’s poem “Probability” is below. An audio recording of Purpura reading her poem can be found here. A link to previous poems by Purpura published in The New Yorker can be found here. Probability Most coincidents are not miraculous, but way more common than we think— it’s the shiver of noticing being central in a sequence of events that makes so much seem wild and rare— because what if it wasn’t? Astonishment’s nothing without your consent.