The Buffalo Wound Poem by Tony Cemaluk Egbuonu

Vibrant brain trapped by accidental incident,
like buffalo wound on agile lion
to steal the lion's hunting show.
Agility lost. Mobility gone, with it.
It thinks in lightning speed.
But walks with the slowing speed of tortoise, the sage.

Wealthy upstairs with wealthy fire and questions.
Poor below with the shell weight it carries,
stealthily like still steel.
Very good to know.
Very hard to live with stealthy still steel.

Money cannot manage or bandage it.
Praise or pity or reprimand cannot lift it.
Rest or leave cannot heal it.
Only truth, empathic understanding, time,
and timely tidings can name it.

A mind with a wound still bleeds sound, steel wisdom,
worthy in weight, wealth and worth.
A wound with no mind just bleeds.
And the world watches both.

Because the heaviest poverty from wealthiest waste
is a bright head that no one lets stand,
but left stale to sour.