Chess

 

Chess

 

 

 

As I walk across the ocean shore on a dark day,

 

I notice something.

 

There is a chess set settling in the sand.

 

It is blurred by white and black grains.

 

You could tell the pawns, bishops and knights are dirt tired.

 

 They are tired in the terrain.

 

They were heavily buried...

 

As I bend down and begin to touch one of the white pawns a voice suddenly startles me.

 

The tide rises and the waves start to make a figural foamy statue, from the clear ocean aqua sea.

 

A Taliban solider shielding his heart while his soul starts to speak!

 

Such frustration and anger surrounds his voice.

 

"Jihad! You lazy, exploitive f***s. You will never get the best of me. We will rally to the end, to finally end the monster that you have created. My moral obligation is to end your treachery."

 

Now after hearing this I express no sympathy.

 

 I reply: "You cold-hearted b*****s deserve to die."

 

As I drop the piece, the oceans figure shatters into a destructive splash.

 

But I judge too quickly!

 

Now the black pawn entices me.

 

As I touch the piece with nervous curiosity.

 

I reply: "Now the wind is just being too f*****g friendly".

 

This black wind is suffocating.

 

It carries dominance that would weather anyone's confidence!

 

A smoky black structure of an Armed American Solider is now in front of me.

 

He carries piercing gray eyes and a strong jaw line to define his boldness.

 

He yells with authority, "F**K you black sheep, you are the evil ones. You do your people no good. We will cleanse your country; create democracy and grant more freedom than any religion."

 

 I am stuck.

 

To add my opinion might land me into forbidden quick sand.

 

I reply to the American voice, "Maybe this isn't right?

 

We do not walk on water and not on their sea.

 

We do not have the right to play god because we differ in beliefs."

 

The solider replies, "but don't you see?"

 

"From the Saudi soil; to the oil rigs; to the Afghanistan Poppy plants.

 

Our objective is to grow, not to please!"

 

Taliban soldier is nowhere in sight, but speaks.

 

"Boy he finds you naive, you know what is in front of that curtain of Death.

 

He does not want you to see.

 

He will not dare show you the unfortunate reality that bleeds."

 

As both voices are now shouting, something is starting to change.

 

The chess board is starting to turn gray.

 

The lines that separate their beliefs begin to mix.

 

Stop!

 

"Both please take a f*****g rest."

 

As I pick up the remaining pieces and board.

 

Then cradle them to my chest.

 

"All I ask is that both of you please take one last breath.

 

Redemption of one true rest, before our future turns a true ill-fated gray."

 

By Patrick Paul Shawver

Reviews

[Raef C. Boylan]

Exciting poem; your work has matured so f*****g much it's unreal and encouraging.
The basic issue you look at has been dealt with many times, but you discovered a truly original way to convey it and I have to applaud that.
The end intrigues me; a blend of both sides has always seemed the best compromise, yet you describe that potential grey as "ill-fated". Do you fear that both cultures will lose something in struggling to meet half-way...or that the merging isn't voluntary, they have no control over it, so it'll go badly?
I think I may have missed the point[?]
Let me know, would be interesting to talk to you about this. You seem to have a much better understanding of current circumstances than many of your fellow Americans - on this site and in general.
I think this piece will take more than a few reads to grasp it, but I don't want to spoil the suspense that carried me along through the first few reads.

Thanks for posting this.

[F. Nazarov]

As both voices are now shouting, something is starting to change.

The chess board is starting to turn gray.

The lines that separate their beliefs begin to mix.

Stop!


That is spectacular, I really love how you convey that beliefs
cause strong divisions and that maybe that isn't the way to. But, at the end
are you asking for one side to prevail over another so that things won't become
gray? Wouldn't you think that people should realize that things are as black and white
as they think?
I thought it was great that both sides of the conflict were in this piece,
it really brings a whole new perspective to both side.

[Raef C. Boylan]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback you gave in that message.
I like the grey-dirty image; hadn't thought of it meaning that before and suddenly it seems obvious.

Yeah, cheers.