Gilani the taxi-wallah

I'd ended up sleeping on office floor (had lingered late over blog & whatnot, and had been suddenly too tired to depart; and had wanted poss. to do a tad more overtime work, but let that go by wayside, taking cab home circa 7am, after posting the "office" poem written before sleep stole me away). I could tell tales about the old life of "office reclusion" I kept at times -- particularly when trying to write a novel late nights in San Francisco (in days before I had a computer of my own). I'd like to go to Enrico's (erstwhile -- it was on Broadway, not far from City Lights Bookstore) for late-night dinner, and show up back at office circa midnight, for some hours of writing. Then hie me off to the local yuppie YMCA for morning sauna. Didn't finish the novel (not nearly), but have happy memories of the oddity of life on that fringe. Also had a curious meeting at Enrico's one night -- involving a gift of an LP by The Mighty Sparrow. Amazing we still had LPs in those days! (early 1980s....) -- but tale (not much to it) can wait; I need to turn around shortly and head off for 9am appt. with my Persian dentist (w/ the beautiful name Roshan); then 10:30am show-up time at downtown painting studio -- where I'm supposed to start getting canvases sorted out for group seasonal open studio, happening Oct.22-23.

I wanted to tell here story of my cabdriver heading home just now -- chap with word "Gilani" written on side of cab. So I inquired if this was related to Abdul Quadar Gilani -- and hence he (presumably) Pakistani? Indeed. He told me a bit of his family lineage: sayyads [offspring of the Prophet Mohammed] thru figure of Abdul Quadar Gilani, a notable Sufi of long ago -- though I recall really nothing but the name. Cabdriver Gilani (Shah-saheb or Shahji he allowed he's addressed by those in the Gilani-know-of-it) also played for me a bit from CD of Arabic Quoran recitation -- plus Urdu explication. This being now day 3 of Ramadan (I'd not kept track of the fact); a likeable conversation.

But my Persian dentists await.