A Drive in the Country

A Drive in the Country

"A drive in the country
would be nice," says the king.
"Agreed," says the queen,
"but what shall we bring?"

"A basket full of sandwiches,
a bottle of white wine,
and some red for good measure;
that should be fine."

"We'll take along a bishop;
then he can act as chauffeur,
and perhaps invite a pawn or two;
it's good to have a gofer."

And so the royal couple,
with no game of chess to play,
make their preparations
for a little holiday.

"Bishop, put your foot down!"
They whizz along the lanes.
"The greater speed, the more we see,"
the foolish king explains.

The queen holds her crown on
by tying round a scarf.
"Boys' toys! Away we go!"
she cries with a laugh.

But little do the chessmen guess,
as they drive ever faster,
that just around the corner
they are heading for disaster.

The morning that had started
with high hopes at fever-pitch
ends with the chessmen
lying in a ditch.

Their car lies beside them
(of course, it's upside down);
where the king wore a smile,
he now wears a frown.

And that is why, you'll notice,
most chess games now are slow,
as chessmen (not designed for speed)
think hard before they go.

poem © Celia Warren 2011

This is the latest in a series of adventures of my chessmen. Catch up with previous adventures here:

The Chessmen's Holiday

Chessmen in the Garden

Fool's Mate

Wedding on the Chessboard

Secret Moves

Chessmen at the Zoo

Gone Fishing

The Artist

Two Bishops in Bed

RIP (TNT)