BABA HAD A SPLENDID SHAVE

a poem with a preface

     In the early 80s I had a wonderful job for awhile. I worked as
literary assistant to Lyn Ott, Baba's great artist-disciple, about whom
Meher Baba's epitath for His dear Dr. Ghani might be used: "his great head was full of wit and wisdom". It was a time of creative discovery, working with this man who had spent a lifetime making creative discoveries.
     Re-reading Lyn's wonderful book, In Quest of the Face of God, I was
struck by one particularly delightful story Lyn recounts about
his 1967 visit Meher Baba in India.
     At one point during the visit, Baba looked at Lyn and gestured to him, "Did you shave this morning?"
     Lyn said, "Yes, Baba."
     Baba said, "Well, you didn't do a very good job. Feel Baba's face."
     Baba then let Lyn stroke His face. Lyn remarks in the book that Baba had a splendid shave.
     He said to Baba, "You know, only this morning, I was looking in the mirror (this was when Lyn could still see, a little), thinking, "Does Baba shave?"
     Baba replied, "Why shouldn't Baba shave?"
     Lyn continued, "Well, somehow, before today, I never associated
shaving with God."
     At that point, Lyn goes on to tell the reader of his book, Baba looked
at him very seriously, straight in the eye, and said, "I am more human than
you are."
.                                                    *****
     Great story, isn't it? Reading it during the period of work with Lyn, long ago, I came up with the following poem. Its subject, you might say, is Meher Baba's Universal Work.

                          to poem