AFTER CHESS 1960

A BOY AND GIRL AND HER MOTHER AND A CHESS GAME IN LONDON IN 1960

Hannah and Benedict
sat on the floor
of her bedroom

playing chess
outside it was raining
hitting against
the windows

your move
Hannah said

Benedict moved
his pawn forward

Hannah's mother(Mrs Scot)
walked along the passage
by the open door
whit ur ye daein?

playing chess
Hannah said

wa haur?
Mrs Scot asked

where else?
Hannah replied

in th' dinnin room
Mrs Scot said

what's up?
Benedict asked

she wants us to play
in the dinning room
Hannah said

oan th' table
nae th' fluir
Mrs Scot said firmly

awe rite Maw
Hannah said

so Hannah picked up
the chessboard carefully
and carried it into
the dinning room
balancing the board
so that the pieces
were where they were

Benedict followed behind
hands in the pockets
of his jeans
Mrs Scot eyeing him
with beady eyes
her hair covered
in a tartan headscarf

Hannah set the board
on the table
and Benedict and she
sat at the table
to resume their game

Mrs Scot walked off
muttering to herself

whose move?
Benedict asked

mine now
Hannah said

why couldn't we play
on the floor of your room?
he asked

God knows
Hannah replied
as she moved her bishop
along the black squares
your king's in trouble
Hannah said

Benedict looked
at the board
and moved his
pawn forward to block
and protect his king

Mrs Scot appeared
in the doorway
staring at them
hoo lang ur ye
gonnae be?
she asked

not long the way
Benedict's playing why?
Hannah said

it has stopped rainin'
sae ye can gang it
Mrs Scot said

Benedict gazed at Hannah
then at Mrs Scot

ok won't be long
Hannah said

Mrs Scot went off
and Hannah moved her bishop
and said
checkmate

Benedict looked
at the board and saw
that he was

so there you are
he said
so do we have
to go now?

Hannah nodded her head
yes it's best
so she packed up
the pieces
and the game board  
and took them to her room

Benedict followed
watching her as she
put the game away

then they walked
to the door and went out
into the morning air
with Mrs Scot at the door
giving them
the dark stare.

Reviews

[L_]

I am not very good when it comes to poety but I find this an interesting piece. I like how you have portrayed a simple situation as more through the use of the mother. You show the relationship between Mrs Scot and Hannah as a close through the use of her understanding and lack of protest at Mrs Scot's suggestions to leave. We can clearly tell that Benedict does not understand the situation however we are given the sense that Hannah and Mrs Scot both are aware of an foretold situation.
The use of regional dialect in this piece as portrayed through accurate phonetic spelling does wonders.
Overall a very successful and inspiring poem, bravo.

[Terry Collett]

Thank you, Lyra