Black & White Raga
As the game begins
Queens dominate their own color squares
white and black Queens opposed on the d file
tension builds as they contend the center
then white pawns slip into position
encroach on black squares
black Queen moves to a white square but it is
too late
white has taken hold of the game
our opponents
playing games of increasing complexity
weighing advantage disadvantage
terror lesser terror
right & wrong
unlike chess masters they cannot see far ahead
but like chess masters they delight
in defining equality
in defining equality
qualified of course by who's next to move
& sometimes they move surreptitiously like pawns
or savagely like rooks
stately like Kings
they are renowned for never exposing Queens to early attack
guarding the center
developing strong points
minimizing weaknesses
in between two games
one hand reaching
hesitant to move
because that move
restricts subsequent choice
there is no going back
especially for pawns
when pieces encounter conflict
they can move away
pawns must stay and fight
meanwhile musicians play a cyber raga
DO WHILE misunderstood
PERFORM UNTIL, Black = White
in between two songs
one hand on a taut drum
damping percussive effects of crowd
the other on cymbals
needing silence again they play
weaving meaning
on a thousand line octave
© Dick Russell, 2016
