Nobody's Pawn by Milo Hurley

Nobody's Pawn

by Milo Hurley

How'd you like to be a pawn

You're not worth much, one point

compared to bishops and knights,

rooks and queens. You're the lowest.

But no matter, there are plenty of you.

One pawn, your blood oozing into a

square-

just one soldier from a regiment.

Two of you for one knight or bishop,

four of you in exchange for a rook—

that's a fair deal. You're used to distract

the enemy from more valuable pieces,

from queen and king. After many

battles,

you might rise to a higher rank—

from wielding sword and shield on foot

to aiming a lance from a snorting horse.

But that's if you survive the knight's charge

and his horse's hooves, trampling bodies.

No, you wouldn't want to be a pawn,

step down into my shoes, would you?

Well, king of women, I'm out of your

game.

I've been your pawn long enough.