Analyze the board. 
Are you sure you want to place your 
bishop so close to my wrist? The king is in 
check–– take him, now! Don’t settle for 
castling, unless you’re prepared to sweep 
dust. Remember the 
enemy and capture en passant, 
find an opening to octopus through. Even 
goliaths fall to the ground. Look, this is like the 
horse we fed with sugarcubes. 
I wonder if she runs wild now or still 
jumps through hoops at the fair. Why do only 
knights get to joust? 
Let me wield my wit.
Let logic belong to you and 
me both. Why do
men insist on their own 
necessity? You
owe me that black
pawn and fifteen bucks for lunch. The
queen is like my mom. She can go anywhere, 
render the universe useless. She knows
sacrifice like hands against her 
throat. Last week, you threw a 
tantrum because your dress came
undone. This is like ruins. This is like false
victory, checkmate. No fair, you started on
white. Remember how it feels–– electric thrill of 
winning. This is not a game, this is life, this is
xenon smeared across the lips of women
yoked to others’ expectations. I’d be a 
zillionaire if I got a penny each time I 
zigzagged past your ‘no.’