Sunday, December 12, 2010

Potluck Poetry #14 - The Chess Game

This is one I wrote earlier, but I'm doing a rerun for Potluck. My first Petrarchan sonnet.

Set up the board and choose a side - you're white
And I am black. Let's start this game of chess.
So as your pawn moves out I must confess,
My mind grows dim, although my eyes shine bright,
And then I send my troops in to the fight.
I look and plan and move then feel the stress,
Of knowing I will soon be in a mess,
And I'm unable to avoid this plight.
You are superior to me by far,
Your nimble brain is way ahead of mine
In planning moves so far across the board.
Confused, I'm falling like a shooting star;
You calculate, and wear a hapless guise,
Then pierce my king through with your mighty sword.

14 comments:

  1. I am such a bad chess player! Chess provides such a surplus of meaning...quite fun.

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  2. Thanks, I'm also a bad chess player - very bad!

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  3. Nicely written, sums up the hopelessness when you know you're up against a better player. There's nowhere to hide on a chess board!

    http://jessicasjapes.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/ice-cream/

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  4. Thanks Jessica, and I have felt that sooo often. (well not really all that often, I don't actually play a lot, just enough to remind me that I'm no good at it! lol)

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  5. Good work Mary! Chess is all about practice.....:)

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  6. Sounds like you've played chess with my husband. I don't believe I've ever won a game.

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  7. perhaps in the end its a win-win,the white aint acomplete set without the black

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  8. I loved playing the chess game..
    so beautiful reminder.
    cool entry.

    A+

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  9. Thanks all.

    Jbluesboy - I guess I need more practice, but not with your husband,
    live2write2day, lol
    Annell - :o)
    DeLi - good point, must have black and white, shadow and light, loss and gain to be complete.
    Jingle - thank you, and thanks for the promps!

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  10. Checkers is more my speed, but even then I'm only a so-so player. (My wife creams me so often that I rarely play with her)

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  11. lol, she creams you, not crowns you?

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  12. At least your eyes didn't give you away.

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  13. very nice work, it takes real discipline to write sonnets.. smart and witty poem.

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  14. Booguloo - lol, I don't have much of a poker-face either!

    Stoic-wes - Thank you so much! It is very different from writing free verse, but sometimes having the 'framework' is...comforting. That sounds strange, but hopefully you know what I mean.

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