The Truth About Tigers

A tendency to turn friendly debates
into tongue-lashed victories;
armed with the vocabulary of a lexicographer
and the moral certainty of a monk.

What’s right is right,
you know this well.
Yet, beatings rarely improve morale,
contrary to what you might have heard.

Securing self-righteous triumphs,
indifferent to the collateral damage—
over peers and strangers alike—
doesn’t always spell a win.
Sometimes, it just takes awhile
to recognize what’s been lost.

You have a sharp mind, kid,
just be careful not to cut yourself
on its jagged edges.