consumed our bitter vinegar every

day of your life.

Your unspeakable love-hammering

your head, smashing your thigh

to keep you down night

after night.

Grinding your bones so thin until

nothing could contain you.

Who can say bye bye Baba

Who does not feel your perfume springing

within us now,

dissolving our own.

Your silence breaking in our hearts.

Every lover longing to love you all

ways without beginning, without end.

Oh but your seduction has been so perfect,

your love play so complete.

We proclaim you the all-time star

of the silent screen.

The slightest shadow of your lips,

the glance of your fingers;

You had only to lift a foot

and our whole heart comes tumbling down.

It is very cruel of you to be so beautiful,

we shall miss your body, Beloved.

We, who didn't see you,

we hoped to see you,

we, making ready, hoped for your

touch

Things are different now

We shall have to face you as

you really are.

Hello Baba

Hello.

Another song by Najoo Kotwala followed, then Eruch introduced the men mandali to us: first Pendu, Baba's cousin, who was 67 and had served Baba since he was in his teens. He is the appointed supervisor of Meherazad. And Bhau Kalchuri. He used to do nightwatch. He is a Hindi poet and did the Hindi correspondence. He composes ghazals and has written many Hindi books. He is very reticent. When young, he had planned to renounce the world and go to the Himalayas, but he read in the paper that Meher Baba would give darshan in his village and he decided it would be a good thing to have the Avatar's darshan before renouncing the world. There was a great crowd; Bhau stood in line but when his turn came, Baba did not even look at him, he just gave him a banana. But Bhau did not leave for the Himalayas. He followed Baba to another town, where Baba took him as His own.

Aloba Ali Akbar Shapurzaman — is from Iran. He was a student in Baba's Prem ashram; but his uncle took him out of the school; he thought the boys were given so much love they forgot their family. Finally, Baba gave him permission to stay with Him. In the New Life, October 1949, the companions came to a well restricted to Hindus. The mandali asked Baba what to do, then Baba changed Ali's name to Aloba; and Dr. Ghani's name to Ghanoba!

—— Here's Sarosh Irani, once Mayor of Ahmednagar. Sarosh owns shops, motor works, cinemas. He is ready day or night to do anything for Baba. And Meherjee Karkaria. In 1921 he went in a tonga with his aunt to see Baba. Baba asked Meherjee to give up his plans of going to college, and come to Him. Meherjee replied he would come if he failed his exams! "Well," said Meherjee, "I failed my exams!"

―――Then Eruch is introduced, in turn, by Sarosh. "Eruch is courage and affection. He

is-'Baba says.'

―――Jal—jolly Jal! Baba's brother. He always told jokes to Baba. Baba liked to have him around all the time. He has the responsibility for arranging transport for the Western lovers.

――― Padri Faredoon — he has been with Baba since the days of Manzil-e-Meem. Because of his height and his looks, — that of a priest — Baba named him 'Padri.' In 1953 he went on tours with Baba.

―――Dr. Deshmukh: he received his Ph.D. in London, where he first heard of Baba. Now a retired Professor of Philosophy, he wrote up the five volumes of Discourses from notes of Baba's talks. Deshmukh says, 'I am entirely Baba's creation.' and adds, 'Eruch is Baba's tongue.'

―――Digambar Gadeka: he is posted in a college at Baroda. He's the son of the person who found Guruprasad, for Baba.