I couldn't find an English translation of Coelho's philosophical poem so I had to translate it myself - I hope well enough so you can enjoy it as much as I did!

The master said:
Close your eyes
or leave them open if you like
and imagine a swarm of flying birds

(Do it! Picture a swarm of birds! Then read on)

And now tell me:
How many birds are you seeing?
Five? Eleven? Sixteen?
Whatever your answer may be,
nobody will be able to tell exactly
how many birds they have seen.

This little experiment shows one thing.
You can imagine a swarm of birds
but how many birds you see
is out of your control
even the picture is clear,
detailed and precise.

Another question will give you the answer.
Who determined
how many birds are going to be
in the picture you imagined?
It certainly wasn't you.
420mory Reviewed by 420mory on . A little mindwork based on Paulo Coelho I couldn't find an English translation of Coelho's philosophical poem so I had to translate it myself - I hope well enough so you can enjoy it as much as I did! The master said: Close your eyes or leave them open if you like and imagine a swarm of flying birds (Do it! Picture a swarm of birds! Then read on) And now tell me: Rating: 5