A game I have always been fascinated with, but unable to excel at, is chess. I once saw two guys play a full game without a board. They called their moves and another guy followed them on the board. I was absolutely in awe of the intellectual capacity of these guys.
It struck me that they had the capacity to hold so many diverse elements in their minds and make decisions simultaneously. So many games imitate life and I thought this event mirrored so much of what we do in life. This poem is my tribute to those guys and their immense capacity. I suppose it is a tribute to all those who play the game of life, win or lose.
Live well,
Ollie Lind
Chess
Squares on the board are sixty four
the game is played by two, no more.
The purpose is to protect the king
from any move opponents may bring.
The opening gambit is so terse
there is no time to sit and nurse
ambition regarding the queen
and her great power, seldom seen.
In life we plan and plot and brood
hoping always to make the right move
and when we try and try and fail
to trap the enemy, to smite, impale;
retreat, protect what little we hold
we lose our courage, cannot be bold.
The less we do the less we can
protect the king who would be man.
To lose the king means loss of game.
Queen protects, but with much pain.
In all of life some sit and wait
and life rewards with a checkmate
To win the game of life and chess
you don’t have to be the best.
Using all the powers you hold
above all else, my friend, be bold.
