Chess

help I’m alive
I’m going insane
my hearts beating like a hammer
and I’m still playing his little game
hes long since retired
put his pieces away and started anew
he locked me in the box with the game
and since then I’ve been glued
to the playing board of politics
to the pawns of “its a lie”
to the kings of the way to go about things
and the queens of “take the night”
to the bishops of “its what she was wearing”
and the knights of “it doesnt matter, that”
to the endless checkered board
of being a victim like a gnat
stuck in a spiders web
that gets stickier through time
unless you can fight through the confusion
break the delusion
break free and announce it immediately
then youll be fine
help I’m alive
I’m going insane
my heart is beating like a hammer
and I’m still playing his little game
he picked up his pieces long ago
and put the box on the shelf with me inside.
and no matter how good my night vision gets
its still pitch black dark and I’m terrified
it only gets worse over time.
– Alexis E Abbott
#AlexisEAbbottPoems