The heavy afternoon did break
Freed to weep with space to manage
To assess its damage and differentiate
friend from foe
To form a quick flanking maneuver against
betrayal then fearlessly go..

If I were a commander my perplexity
would never show
My troops would blindly follow
Eye to eye contact with the opposing leader would
ne'er break
The first move of my enemy would be their
ultimate mistake

Like a soldier a few battles are visible just as a few remain obscure
Victory and defeat appear on my sleeves ,
across my chest
My checkerboard adversaries have been
crowned , my weakness profound , my knights
lie motionless on the cold ground
I face the blackness in contempt of my god
As the evening rain
Forever planning
Forever in battle* ...