Miriam Sagan

ARISTOTLE

It was a nice party, and snowing
so that arriving guests
shook themselves off
before tromping in to the fire.
I was sitting, trapped in a corner,
with three St. John's students
debating loudly
Aristotle, who, they claimed
said no one could ever really understand
anyone else.
I butted in: "What about saying
'I love you madly and will do whatever you want'
or, 'I left the newspaper on the hall table for you'
isn't that clear enough?"
No, no, they insisted, no one
could ever truly hear and understand.
I wanted to say: who lied to you when you
were little? Who hurt you
so badly with words?
but instead excused myself
went to the kitchen
where the host -- with whom I had
an utterly complicated and often sad
relationship was doling out someone else's posole.
He offered me a bowl, and I ate it.
Driving home in the snow
my second husband went too fast and briefly lost control
of the car which spun and hit the curb.
And I shouted: hey, slow down
in all this snow
and he did.

Date of Birth:	April 27, 1954
Location:	Santa Fe, New Mexico
Occupation:	Writer / Teacher
Email:	MSAGAN1035@aol.com
Website:	http://sfpoetry.org
Publications:	Alsop Review, Big Bridge, Santa Fe Poetry Broadside, Red Booth, Poetry Porch, The Drunken Boat, APR, Painted Bride, Puerta Del Sol, Heavenbone, etc.
Books:	Archeology of Desire (Red Hen), The Widow's Coat (Ahsahta), etc.
Awards:	Lannan Foundatuon Marfa Residency: Barbara Deming/Money for Women

- January 2003 - Dreaming of Portugal Four Ghazals String Lessons Five Ways to Love a Cockroach It Was Cold Fathers Man Found Dead in Bathtub ... Aristotle A Choice between Grief and Nothing At The Department of Motor Vehicles - The Best of Dorothy Doyle Mienko - Escaping the terrible fish The Great Gatsby Breaks My Heart Lisa A Poem to My Left Breast Spring Rain Suicide