Thursday, 15 December 2005

Dark-king, Light-king, Queens All

Back when two pawns
barely fit in my palm
I believed patterns
ruled the chess board

that the goal was to
mix black and white
find a home for gray
Until my men lived

in your land and yours
put down roots in mine.
Leave the royal scepters and
poison decanters behind!

The rooks will form bridges
stolid and un-burnable
interlace their bricks and
form open-faced windows

Knights will practice with
jousts of wooden swords
clasping arms in friendly combat
twirling pennants of dark and light

Bishops will gossip -
as old men pretend not to do -
whispering their robes and
flashing gold-strewn hands

Queens will share a giggle
trade recipes and ermine cloaks
weave stories and hair into plaits
let their pawns play together

And the kings, O the kings!
They will sprawl unceremoniously
in front of their thrones
Discuss geography, banquets,

jesters and favorite dogs
Lift the heavy crowns
off their bowed heads
and be men for the while

Colors will be strewn about
the patchwork earth will move
all the world that they know
will breathe a sigh and say

'Assassination
of the emperors be damned.
This is truly
the game of kings.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AEW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

¡Y mucho más! <-- Even More Poems

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