Miriam Guichard

Miriam Guichard, former Director, USIS, Chennai

apart from many other things

My dear Miriam:

The last I heard from you was in response to the lines from my poem,

"...I have lived through storms
they have become my address
my mark will be there
for those who want to find me..."

You responded,

"Your words touch me deeply. But then, that is what they are supposed to do, n'est-ce pas? Continue to write dear friend that I may continue to live."

And I promptly replied,

"Continue to live life tall, and I will write, speak, sing, love, from here, or there."

You, apparently, did not or could not, keep that promise; but that did not obliterate a wondrous friendship spanning over more than 25 years, almost all of it from far away. And we were close in the towns of Chennai and Bangalore, the friendship was invaluable.

You will not read this, but I will not grieve, because you are restful. It would no longer matter to you whether I sing or do not. In fact, enviably, Nothing will matter to you, which non-existence is the best part of our existence.

Lovingly, enviously,

Ramesh Gandhi