Chess Rumble

In my ‘hood,
battles is fought every day. .
Some on the street corner,
some in the park.
Warriors fall.
Kings is made.
Street gangs,

Chess gangs.
Don’t make

It’s all a game
to me.

My Daddy
used to play chess
to calm his nerves
after workin’ all day
in a room
with no windows.
I wanted to play him,
but he always say
I wasn’t ready.
“This a man’s game,” he say.
“You a man?”
He made me play checkers
with my sister.
We watched him
from ‘cross the room
just sittin’ there,
movin’ pieces

back
an’ forth,
playin’
by hisself,
just starin’
at the board.
He pretended
to be both sides,
talkin’ late into the night,
like he at war with
a ghost who wasn’t there.