The Conference of the Birds is a masterpiece of the Persian Sufi poet Farid Al-din Attar (1142 – 1221). It tells the story of a large group of birds (human souls) which, under the leadership of a Hoopoe (spiritual master), undertake a long journey in search of the legendary Simorgh bird (divine truth/god/beloved). Many of the birds perish as they confront their own limitations and fears while journeying through seven valleys before they ultimately find the Simorgh in the form of their own reflections in the water. The last thirty survivors realised that what they were searching for was inside them all along.

We are all part of the beloved and the beloved is part of us. As I continue my search for the past, for all that is lost and for impossible desires, I know that they are all within me and I need the mirror of truth to reflect them and free me. First I need to undertake the journey of finding the mirror, either from a moving train or in my heart.