Black and White

It
began
as a game
She made it a game
We got out the board
One day she got bored
We played together
She played
with me
Move, counter move, grinning
Move, counter move, encroaching
Black and white
enfolded like hands
Black and white
entrenched like
cancer
Yin and yang
Truth and lie
Check Check
Inevitably Perpetually
Mate. Stalemate.

And in this love-tug of war-game
Debauch and hopscotch
With an ant’s tenacity
I carried our flag:
Walking forward, slow and steady
Programmed with just a simple mission-
To reach the end of the line in tact.

So much depends-
A pawn
But nothing defends-
A pawn
And in the end-
Your pawn
Will reach the last square, where-
upon
It shall be plucked out of thin air-
Anon-
In exchange for the queen you lost before-
In this messy, slip-shod love-tug of war.

Lady, I’ve seen what you’ll do for your queen.
And it’s not so black and white.
But you can afford to put her back on the board
In an attempt to make things right.

What befalls your soldier now that you sold her
In exchange for royalty?
Will you miss your pawn now that she’s gone
And rue your disloyalty?

When you’re tempted to blame at the end of the game-
Your pawn will already be gone.