Intellectuals, Scholars & Leaders

From the wise man who sat with soldiers, princes, sultans and more
With the lettered, the well read, and all the ones that people adore

The scholar wants to demonstrate, by being put to the test
What he sees as his intellectual prowess

The intellectual, through his mental capability
Knows that also as a leader, is where he ought to be

The leader may have rank, authority, perhaps love and honour
But deep down inside he also wants to be seen as a scholar

The scholars most certainly don’t want to lead
That would inhibit them very much indeed

The intellectuals wouldn’t want to be scholars
That would prohibit them, that would be a horror of horrors

To be ‘would-be intellectuals’ is not the stuff of leaders
For them that’s not a model for great and real achievers

Written this day in Safar 1429 (February 2008)