What makes a good leader?
The Physics of the Line
he must be a man who has
tasted the barrel of the gun
and found the metal
cold and honest.
he must have burned down
his own house,
sat in the ashes,
drinking cheap scotch from a
cracked mug,
and decided to build it back
without a single nail of
pity.
he must be dangerous.
a violent thing
wearing a quiet suit.
a wolf who learned
a knife and fork
so the children don’t notice
the teeth.
he takes the screaming chaos
of the universe,
runs it through his ribs,
and hands it back as
calm instructions.
he is the wall in the wind.
the father who stays awake
so the family can dream
of meadows.
we write books about him.
we carve his face
into mountains.
we argue over
vision,
grit,
the holy mechanics
of command.
burn the books.
sand the statues down
to dust.
spit on the philosophy
until only pavement
is left.
the answer is not in the man.
it is in the space
behind him.
you ask what makes a
good leader?
turn around.
if there is no one there,
you are just a man
taking a walk.
if there is a line of
warm bodies
mistaking your shadow
for a map,
following your heels
into the fire—
congratulations.
you are a leader.
the rest is just
marketing.