I play both sides of the chess board

alternating white and black.  I fight and switch

becoming my own worst enemy

and then the enemy of my enemy

I must watch closer.  I’m not sure who wins

when I lose, this process my triumph.

One-step, two-step pawns set up challenges

until a cornered king lies down.

When the game ends, the journey begins.

Alone, without the comfort of his square,

the crownless king must find the man within,

give up e1/e2 to feel the fibers of the rug,

to learn its pattern where his shadow falls,

and dream his way beyond the castle walls. 

First published in Anima (UK)