The Pawns' Football Match

The pawns are feeling restless;
they want to let off steam,
run around and exercise.
Soon, each side forms a team.
"It's eight-a-side," one pawn declares,
"We'll live the football dream."

"You haven't any goal-posts,"
one rook points out, but then
suggests that they could act as posts,
themselves, these castle-men.
So, soon, the match is underway;
they're happy pawns again.

One bishop's referee and has
a whistle that he blows
for reasons that said-referee,
the bishop, only knows.
And so the game continues,
keeping all pawns on their toes.

The ball flies high, but - what is this?
It lands inside the wall
atop a castle-goal-post;
at first they fear he'll fall,
but, no! "Young pawn, look here!" he cries,
"You're out: I caught the ball."

The pawns turn to the bishop:
"That isn't fair," they cry.
"It's football that we're playing,
not cricket, which is why
we can't be out-by-catching,
and A Goal-Post shouldn't try!"

The four rooks stand together,
united in their praise
of walls designed for catching.
and goal-posts' 'little ways'!
The pawns all grumble loudly
while the bishop's in a daze.

"It seems this game is over,"
the bishop then explains.
And no-one stops to argue
when, right then, it coldly rains.
They are soon back on the chessboard
where they exercise ... their brains!

poem © Celia Warren 2012

This is the latest in a series of adventures of my chessmen - and the first of 2012. 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)

A Drive in the Country

Singing in the Shower?

A Dalek on the Chessboard

and

Carol Singers.