Chess
Wonderland poetry challenge: Day 23
A free verse poem on logic, philosophy, and chess. Thoughts from my practice playing chess.
♟️
Some step forward, like a pawn
No need for logic, just move along
Logic moves like the rook,
Straight, sure, determined,
In order, no need for explaining
♟️
Philosophy drifts like the bishop,
Searching across diagonals of meaning,
Questioning every angle, every move
♟️
The knight, oh, the knight!
It is like a thought itself,
Twisting on the go, complex,
never arriving the way you expect
♟️
The queen is all about power
Moves as she wants, temperamental
Quite unlike the king,
The king moves slow, but firm
♟️
I play chess, not to win but to think
To watch cause and consequence
To plan, to move, to anticipate
♟️
When the game is over
When silence returns, when logic leaves
There is only one reason to doubt
Why I could not scream checkmate!
♟️
©️Susan Fourtané, 2025 -All rights reserved
Free verse for Ellie’s Wonderland poetry challenge: Day 23: Prompt: Chess
About the Creator
Susan Fourtané
Susan Fourtané is a Science and Technology Journalist, a professional writer with over 18 years experience writing for global media and industry publications. She's a member of the ABSW, WFSJ, Society of Authors, and London Press Club.
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Comments (8)
Loved the terminology threaded through- river”s tried to teach me chess. I suck. No patience but really like how the pieces weaved through the stanzas to the denouement of paralysis x beautifully done 💜
Lovely poem, Susan. I have never played chess
The image drew me in but the words give me so much to think about
This is cool. I like how each chess piece kind of represents a different way of thinking. That bit about the knight being like a thought was spot on.
The ending, does that mean you didn't win? Loved your poem!
That's the beauty of chess, Susan. That battle between apparent logic and hidden chaos!
A poetic dance of mind and meaning,where logic, philosophy, and chess collide in quiet reflection
This is beautifully layered—each piece as a metaphor for thought! I especially loved the line ‘The knight… never arriving the way you expect’ — such a perfect image for how real insight works. The balance between logic and philosophy is so elegantly drawn here. Is this part of a poetry series? I’d love to read more from your Wonderland challenge