Shifty-Eyed and with a Grin

Published in Kilometer Zero.  Paris.  2000.

37 Rue de la Bucherie

Paris, France 75018

SHIFTY-EYED AND WITH A GRIN

Shifty-eyed and with a grin

A pawn suggests “I’d like some quim,

And with some help from Brother Knight

We’ll share White’s Queen, to my delight.”

An allied pawn, just killing time,

Narrowed in on square E9 –

An imaginary square, just once past real.

That was where they squared the deal.

She made it briskly to A4,

But Black’s Queen Bishop snared the whore.

She tottered, stalling, to B5

Where a cruel, cruel rook left her alive.

She made it, barely, to C6

And met there with eight small pawn pricks.

Then stoically did meet her fate,

And after love, there came checkmate.