a game of chess

A game of chess

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A buzzing insect, a defective light,

The door with a net face and broken hinge,

A jump of a silhouette cat captures mind.

A cot and a smudged glass with dusk up to

Its brim, rippling, swarming and smelling drunk.

Go away! A hoarse voice commands the bug.

The eerie rooster without a soul mate

Crows to death. The death is pulsing outside.

The man with Parkinson’s moves his knight.

Radio at ten is silent. The new

Fiscal policies do not bother them.

“It is your turn!” he sips his red poison.

Death stares at the pieces on chessboard …

Reviews

[R J Askew]

I love chess. So the title of your poem put its arm around my should and bid me read. I was not disappointed. I could hear the buzz and followed the filigree stitch-work of the first five lines as your captive. At first I thought, 'this is tour of the subconcious', but on finishing the poem I thought the first five lines captured a hiatus between moves when one of the players momentarily disengages while waiting for his opponent to wait, a sort of mental idling when the brain is engaged but at rest and so prone to peripherality. The comment to the bug snaps the reader back. The next two lines minded me of the Seventh Seal when the returned knight plays chess with death. Then to the best line for me 'The man with Parkinson's moves his knight' ... I love that line. Ach, and I am partial to a little red poison myself. The last line, hmm, not so happy about that one though I am not sure why. It may be because The Seventh Seal is such a strong film and the chess scene is so famous that I wanted a novel exit from the poem, especially after the Parkinson's line. So you checked me with the Parkinsons, but I am not sure that last line gets you to mate. Still, I enjoyed the read very much.

[Lying Is My Hobby]

Descriptive. I could easily imagine the gloomy scene.
I enjoyed it.
The title demanded my obedience; how could i resist reading this? I love chess.

[Raef C. Boylan]

Ah, the concept of playing Death for your life...
I like how your poem consists of so many separate images which form a full picture at the end, and create intrigue for the reader as we go through it.

Interesting little piece. Pretty cool.
Thanks for sharing it with us.

"Death stares at the pieces on chessboard �" [the chessboard?]

[lori c]

this is amazing...a chess game with death. one of the most thought inducing games to play and win. you set the scene so fantastically with your opening words. and right on through the smashing last line this is a great write. one of your best i think. this is definately going into my library !

[Cece]

imagery is awsome
i seen the shaking man
moving his piece

the game moves so slow
its like reaper is overseer
a real chess game stalled

[TamiViolet]

Oh, my....fantastic imagery in this piece; I adore chess, so this caught my eye.
Metaphorically brilliant! Format enhances theme quite well. Into the favs.
with this one, my friend...

[TL Boehm]

vivid poetic storytelling here. The image is burned into my mind. well done.

[waywithwords]

Parkinson's Disease is a terrible thing to live with my friend. I loved how you akind it to a chess game and great imagery and feeling. Well done. Annexxx

[JC Fox]

Hmm this was a different piece, I'm not sure what to say about it lol.

[Blue Bard]

The atmosphere is thick here. It feels like the heat of an oppressive summer night, sweat and intellect entwined, the war is not chess, but with time. Wonderful.