Copyright © 2012 Suzanne Yost
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The game of chess is but something imagined
It is not only pieces on a board
It is a carefully thought-out plot
A scheme of the most cunning kind
The King acts high and mighty
Victory in his stance
Majestically carved to stand his ground
The key to triumph or failure
At his side, the Queen is the real one in charge
She takes on the battle field, fighting in all directions
Mighty yet elegant
The strength and mind of the army brigade
Valiant Knights riding horses
Leap into the fray, swords at the ready
Their pride mixes with their bravery as they are arrogant
Though they charge through in the ways you’d least expect
Next the Bishops hurry to and fro
Minds like whips, they travel at sharp angles
To get to where they must be with efficiency
Often tricky to martyr, yet slick as thieves
Rooks are sturdy and rough
With the brute force of a brick wall, it’s never torn down
But it’s dumb and klutzy
Doomed to always take the straight path ahead
But at last the puny pawn will stay
Shrinking, shrinking, evermore
No credit given, as it’s sent out ahead
Sacrificed and forgotten
The pawn is but a statistic
A casualty lost in time
It’s the poor soul sent to the front ranks
Who probably won’t get to go home
Yet it is often the tough pawns who win the battle
Charging through, instincts intact
To capture the King and save the day
To be a hero
But always, always the pawn is lost
To the Queen’s power, the Knight’s pride,
The Bishop’s thievery, the Rook’s strength
It stands no chance against the King
All will claim the rights of victory
Sending the pawn away in shame
Left at the bottom of a well
An endless abyss
Never to be saved from its own misfortune
For success has wounded it
In ways unimaginable
With no way to repair
YOU ARE READING
A Game of Sacrifice
Poetry[Entered in the Atty Awards, 2012] Chess is not only a game of strategy. It is the game of life.
