Charles Simic(b. 1938)
Prodigy
I g r e w up b e n t over
a c h e s s b o a r d .
I loved the word endgame.
All m y c o u s i n s l o o k e d worried.
It w a s a small h o u s e
n e a r a R o m a n graveyard.
P l a n e s and tanks
s h o o k its w i n d o w p a n e s .
A retired p r o f e s s o r of a s t r o n o m y
taught me h o w to play.
T h a t m u s t have b e e n i n 1 9 4 4 .
I n the set w e w e r e u s i n g ,
t h e paint h a d a l m o s t c h i p p e d o f f
t h e b l a c k p i e c e s .
T h e w h i t e King w a s m i s s i n g
a n d h a d to be s u b s t i t u t e d for.
I'm told b u t do n o t b e l i e v e
that that s u m m e r I w i t n e s s e d
m e n h u n g f r o m t e l e p h o n e p o l e s .
I r e m e m b e r my m o t h e r
b l i n d f o l d i n g me a lot.
S h e h a d a w a y of t u c k i n g my h e a d
s u d d e n l y u n d e r h e r o v e r c o a t .
I n c h e s s , too, t h e p r o f e s s o r told m e ,
the m a s t e r s play b l i n d f o l d e d ,
t h e great o n e s o n several boards
at the s a m e t i m e .