Taking a look at the Elephant

You’ll remember the old Indian tale of the elephant in the room. This is how Rumhi, the Persian sage, first wrote it down (my version):

The elephant stood in a darkened room

Led there as part of the circus

And people came despite the dark,

Reaching, blindly touching,

Each telling what he found

One touching the trunk, “it feels like a pipe”,

Touching the ear, “it’s a fan”,

Touching the leg, “it’s a pillar”,

Touching the back, “it’s a plank”,

Each knowing best,

Each calling “p” what the other calls “q”,

Someone give them a candle and let them see.