MY FRIEND My friend, I am not what I seem. Seem- ing is but a garment I wear--a care-woven garment that protects me from thy ques- tionings and thee from my negligence. The "I" in me, my friend, dwells in the house of silence, and therein it shall re- main for ever more, unperceived, unap- proachable. I would not have thee believe in what I say nor trust in what I do--for my words are naught but thy own thoughts in sound and my deeds thy own hopes in action. When thou sayest, "The wind bloweth eastward," I say, "Aye, it doth blow east- ward"; for I would not have thee know that my mind doth not dwell upon the wind but upon the sea. Thou canst not understand my seafar- ing thoughts, nor would I have thee un- derstand. I would be at sea alone. When it is day with thee, my friend, it is night with me; yet even then I speak of the noontide that dances upon the hills and of the purple shadow that steals its way across the valley; for thou canst not hear the songs of my darkness nor see my wings beating against the stars--and I fain would not have thee hear or see. I would be with night alone. When thou ascendest to thy Heaven I descend to my Hell--even then thou call- est to me across the unbridgeable gulf, "My companion, my comrade," and I call back to thee, "My comrade, my compan- ion."--for I would not have thee see my Hell. The flame would burn thy eye- sight and the smoke would crowd thy nos- trils. And I love my Hell too well to have thee visit it. I would be in Hell alone. Thou lovest Truth and Beauty and Righteousness; and I for thy sake say it is well and seemly to love these things. But in my heart I laugh at thy love. Yet I would not have thee see my laughter. I would laugh alone. My friend, thou art good and cautious and wise; nay, thou art perfect--and I, too, speak with thee wisely and cautiously. And yet I am mad. But I mask my mad- ness. I would be mad alone. My friend, thou art not my friend, but how shall I make thee understand? MY path is not thy path, yet together we walk, hand in hand. -The Madman, Kahlil Gibran