GRAHAM

May glorious fortunes await us
May the bounties of Brahman pervade us

But one boon is clear
Right now and right here

In the person of Graham de Freitas

How can we ever repay him?
With what honors could we array him?

For being our friend
For these years without end —

And simply for just being Graham

We honor this great literatus*
This man with divinest afflatus**

We find him inspiring
This expert in wiring
This builder and dad
World class, we might add
This Governor and scholar
In button-down collar —

This Rishi named Graham de Freitas

July 20, 1996

* literatus – a member of the literati, i.e., people interested in literature and the arts, the educated class

** afflatus – a divine imparting of knowledge or power; inspiration