Meherabode Poetry

Marc Brutus

Marc Brutus along with his parents and seven sisters and brothers, were exiled from South Africa for nonviolent resistance to apartheid.  This mostly took the form of boycotts from participation in all international sports including the Olympics, because the government was not willing to field interracial teams.  For this, his father was shot and imprisoned on Robben Island where he broke rocks with other political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela.  Meher Baba became central to Marc's life at age 19, while living in London.  He was initially attracted to one of Baba's followers who introduced him to the Baba community and the Center (Pete Townsend's basement near Victoria Station).  It was her vibrancy and unconditional love for all that touched him.  While happy to work for relief organisations (chief among these was War On Want), Marc had a deeper yearning to try to uplift and inspire many more through creative expression or art.  Marc is profoundly grateful to Meher Baba for the many opportunities afforded him through these many years for creative expression, including poetry, mime, as well as several aspects of the dramatic arts, as Baba has been central to his inspiration.  Some of that background includes being part of Meher Players in Chicago from 1972 to '79, and participating in creative projects in Myrtle Beach, Meherabad and Meherazad, and Los Angeles from 1980 to '96.  Currently, with less opportunity for creative expression, Marc is trying to complete his bachelor's degree and teaching credential while working with handicapped children in Los Angeles.