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.

[George Love]

Nicely done, love the imagery in this brief and insightful work

[Beautifully Tragic xPoe..]

Seems to me like its man against death in this chess game. I liked it, I have to say this is a favorite of yours. Great Write.

[Kasey Klein]

A wonderful portrait.

Well done, my friend

[Bhavya Kaushik]

I agree with Carrie that while reading it I found that the old man and death is actually playing chess..the game of his own life..
which paints a very deep picture in the reader's mind...
Great write!

[Carrie Montgomery]

are the old man and death playing chess for his life? That's what I read ...
another vivid picture- you have a way with painting pictures that are easily seen by the reader.

[alternative_be]

How the noble art of chess sometimes is not so noble. Very descriptive, tangible and captivating. I am able to visualize the old men getting drunk, being mean to the rooster and slowly taking their own life by drinking the red that becomes poison when you 'overendulge' on a regular basis...
Playing chess should not be an excuse to get completely plastered... Chess is supposed to be an intellectual game, how can one play chess with an intoxicated mind?
One little remark: should not you write 'my mind' or 'a mind' in the beginning?
For the rest: this is a gem!