Call For Advice

[J.D. Sparks]

Hypothetical question: you receive the following poem from someone you've been friends with for a few years. Your response is?

"Endgame"

I could have played myself
like a pawn

surrendered a bit of pride
to make my play
and take your friend down

even now
we could be castling on his couch

but no, I pretended that this prospect didn’t interest me
I kept my pen poised (for you)
prepared with a sarcastic remark at his expense

even foreseeing the checkmate setup
and knowing all the brilliancies to be had

I resigned,
preferring to make you laugh

[For those unfamiliar with chess terms, it might be helpful to use wikipedia's glossary of chess terms (as I did); I tried putting the link up, but indeed it is not working!]

[Hawkman]

Gosh this is clever... You had me with the title and the playful use of chess terms paints some charming pictures in my head.

But the answer to your hypothetical question has to be, "It depends..." what is the emotional circumstance of the addressee? Does this person fancy the poet?

I guess there is always the old addage, never spoil a good freindship by getting involved, lol.

I really like this poem.

Live and be well, H

[dizzydoll]

Take a chance man, play it moment by moment, piece by piece. :biggrin5:

your link says "error"

[hillwalker]

A clever little piece without doubt.

As for my response - King's Knight to Queen's Rook, Stalemate.

[J.D. Sparks]

Hawkman: I am glad that you felt it was playful. I hoped it would be. (And I think the answer to a hypothetical question is always "it depends" isn't it?)

dizzydoll: Thank you for letting me know about the link!

Hillwalker: Excellently prophetic reply.

[lallison]

Nice poem, sounds like someone was playing the Spanish Torture against you. I'd say you played it right. Sometimes its better to resign so you will have someone to rematch next time you want to play, even if its hard to go wrong with knight takes queen.

[MorpheusSandman]

Considering none of us know the context of the relationship it's hard to say what any appropriate response could be. I'd tell someone that it's a really clever piece and that it would be nice if the chess metaphor was even more elaborately developed and more carefully intertwined with the stuff about love and friendship.

[J.D. Sparks]

Excellent advice on all fronts.

[PrinceMyshkin]

I assume this is a poem written for and to you in the hope of advancing the game - hers, yours or a mutually gratifying one? Assuming the writer is gender-appropriate to you, you need to wonder whether she/he chose the chess metaphor with the awareness that in chess there is either a stalemate - or...

[J.D. Sparks]

Yep, I did choose the chess metaphor with that awareness, which is also why the speaker (symbolically) abandons "the game" aspect of a relationship.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Oh, so now I better understand the hypothesis you proposed. We are to put ourselves in the place of the someone to whom you sent (or are planning to send) this; and the question is, how do we receive/view it. Care to flesh out our part a wee bit, e.g. are we intelligent? appreciative of cleverness in others? and what is our approximate age?

(Also, not quite so relevant: are we 'cute' or 'studly'?)

[J.D. Sparks]

Hmm, you are right, a character sketch would be appropriate.

You are of moderate to slightly below genius-level intelligence, your ability to comprehend cleverness is almost excessively developed, you are any physical age post-adolescent, any emotional maturity level of adolescent or better, and you are a rarely-seen fusion of cute and studly but neither excessively so.

[milktea]

It's clever. I couldn't help but grin while reading how you could've taken his friend down and castled him on the couch. Being a chess fan and a closet perv, I found your imagery spot on. Nice.

To answer your question, if there was a fraction of chemistry before this poem, I'd respond by sending a chess board with three pieces: a king, a queen, and the key to my apartment. Replay? If there was no chemistry beforehand, I'd admire the poem itself but feel a bit awkward praising the poet...

[J.D. Sparks]

Milktea, as writer of that lovely sestina, I will have to take your appreciation of the poem very seriously. I also liked the very poetic plan involving errant chess pieces, but I have a feeling it might not work since I live with my parents. :S

[PrinceMyshkin]

Hmm, you are right, a character sketch would be appropriate.

You are of moderate to slightly below genius-level intelligence, your ability to comprehend cleverness is almost excessively developed, you are any physical age post-adolescent, any emotional maturity level of adolescent or better, and you are a rarely-seen fusion of cute and studly but neither excessively so.

I'm with Milktea, who is not only an accomplished poet & closet perv but an astute reader of chemistry vis a vis romance.

[J.D. Sparks]

Hmmm, looks like I'll have to start a tally chart.