.

Why would you breed for such horns?

Herds resting in African shrub and bush,

Gentle giants in a landscape of thorns,

Hidden in green, marked by

Clean, curved lines,

A leafless forest of horns

.

I’ve heard they help to keep bodies cool.

Damp-muzzled, calm-featured, deep red hides matching

Raw soil of anthill mounds,

Clear watchful eyes beneath

Clean, curved lines,

A leafless forest of horns

.

Economists count in kilos, in liters of milk,

Something more than for kids and early morning tea,

Before grazing with zebras

Beneath thorny trees

Clean, curved lines,

A leafless forest of horns

.

Some other value, some unmeasurable gain,

Breed for status, beauty, unspoken art,

A sense of creation,

Bovine red against green,

Clean, curved lines,

A leafless forest of horns.

Rwakobo Rock, Uganda, 2018