Some nice related prose

[Michael S. Sanders]

Taken from http://www.jwjonline.net/draughts.php by John W. Johnston, thought some of you might enjoy this.

More than just a game

Once upon a time, my Father taught me to play Draughts.

He explained the moves,

forwards not back,

diagonal not straight,

jump over a piece to take it,

get to the other side to be King'd

then become all-powerful and move all ways.

And we played our game,

our one-sided game,

as I floundered without strategy or purpose.

He did his best to let me win

but his task was hopeless.

And time passed by ...

And we played again, my Father and I.

I had an idea of what I was doing but lacked skill.

It was no longer annihilation.

Bless him he tried to let me win.

Sharp intakes of breath accompanied with

eyebrows raised as if to say "are you sure?"

"You'll regret that"

"Not the best move you can make"

as he did all he could to steer me towards victory.

Yes, I won but he worked hard to accomplish it.

And time passed by ...

And we played again, my Father and I.

I was confident in my strategy,

yet play as good as I could

his skills were greater than mine.

No false victories now.

No quarter spared.

No hints given.

Man against man

and the better man won.

And time passed by ...

And we played again, my Father and I.

It was close.

Very close.

Sometimes he would win,

sometimes I would win.

Single Kings chasing each other,

trying to win,

trying not to lose,

trying to avoid stalemate

yet preferring it to defeat.

Two opponents equally matched.

And time passed by ...

And we played again, my Father and I.

He was confident in his strategy yet

play as good as he could

my skills were greater than his.

No false victories now.

No quarter spared.

No hints given.

Man against man

and the better man lost.

And time passed by ...

And we played again, my Father and I.

He had an idea of what he was doing but lacked skill.

Not annihilation but close

as I tried to let him win.

Sharp intakes of breath accompanied with

eyebrows raised as if to say "are you sure?"

"You'll regret that"

"Not the best move you can make"

as I did all I could to steer him towards victory.

Yes, he won but I worked hard to accomplish it.

And as time passes by ...

I hope we will play again, my Father and I.

Could it be that I shall need to explain the moves?

Forwards not back,

diagonal not straight,

jump over a piece to take it,

get to the other side to be King'd

then become all-powerful and move all ways.

And shall we play our game,

our one-sided game,

as he flounders without strategy or purpose.

I will do my best to let him win

but will my task be hopeless?

Playing Draughts with my Father is more than just a game.

[Danny_Alvarez]

i enjoyed it very much, but correct me if i'm wrong but this ain't prose at all

nicely done!

D. Alvarez

[jaguar72]

i enjoyed it very much, but correct me if i'm wrong but this ain't prose at all

nicely done!

D. Alvarez

Well, it's kind of a prose poem (if you can, in fact, accept that contradiction in terms. . . T.S. Eliot probably wouldn't...).

It's quite nice, nonetheless.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Danny_Alvarez]

I would call it free rhyming verse, or just verse....
but in doubt let's call on the experts and see what
Mister John "soon to be doctor" Acker has to say about the matter....

hehehe


Cheers
D. Alvarez

PS i thought it was enjoyable too, regardless of its proper classification

[jaguar72]

Yeah, well, vers libre, perhaps; you know, the kind of thing Don Marquis used to write before (and after) World War I:

expression is the need of my soul
iwas once a vers libre bard
but i died and my soul went into the body of a cockroach
it has given me a new outlook on life

Don Marquis
Archy and Mehitabel

(There is no punctuation or upper case because Archy the cockroach could not reach the shift key on the typewriter).

Mehitabel is a cat; she says things (and Archy types it all) like:

oh i should worry and fret
death and i will coquette
there s a dance in the old dame yet
toujours gai toujours gai

Don Marquis
Archy and Mehitabel

Rather beautiful.

Great stuff, but I guess it really isn't related to the topic or to checkers...sorry.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Danny_Alvarez]

LOL don't worry Gary i won't unleash the checkers police on you

and vers libr is exactly what it is u r right


i enjoyed what u shared and i even googled a few others just for my amusement.

it's my last day at work for this year and productivity isnt what it used to be

cheers,
D. Alvarez

[jaguar72]

LOL don't worry Gary i won't unleash the checkers police on you

cheers,
D. Alvarez

Danny,

Well, that's a relief...not that I thought you would.

You write excellent posts. Very enjoyable.

By the way, I answered the question you asked about the checkers allusions in a book. It's under the topic Cool Stuff About Checkers in General Discussion.

I see things are still not going Australia's way in the Ashes...the Aussie press is really being unkind... .

So much for staying on topic... .

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Danny_Alvarez]

I enjoyed that book i have read it many times in the past, at present my copy of it has been misplaced and i will endeavour to read it this summer (its summer down here) to see if i can find the checker allusions.

as far as cricket goes its a bad nightmare and i dont even watch it anymore i am assuming like everyone else that there won't be any miracles and that England rightfully will win.

Aussies are always good sports (mostly) except when losing to english people hahahaha thats why the aussie press is crying wolf and trying to orchestrate a witchhunt.

[jaguar72]

Danny,

Ah, well, Peter Lalor in The Australian sez:

"There has been a feeling in the hallowed halls of Australian cricket that the media have been too pessimistic, that Adelaide was an aberration, that things weren't as bad as they seemed. They were right, things weren't as bad as they seemed. They were worse."

That's pretty harsh stuff.

Anyhow, I got off topic...again (and I don't want any run-ins with the cricket police either...).

To make up for it (and keep the checkers police off my back), here's a poem written by the one-and-only Willie Ryan from the introduction to his book It's Your Move:

Your Smile and Mine

Now have you ever stopped to think
That folks are much alike,
And that our faults and fancies in
About the same place strike?
You often think the World is harsh,
And no one's kind but you;
But there are others all around
Who think the same thing, too.
The only way to find the good
That makes your life worth while
Is just to favor others, and
To pass along your smile.
I'm here to serve you, one and all,
With jokes and stories rare,
And if you read my little book
'Twill take away your care.
This page is just the opening door;
The treasures lie within.
I beg you, then, to come with me
And let the fun begin!

Willie Ryan in 1927 or so

There you have it. We could use a few Willie Ryans today, I think... .

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[liam stephens]

Seven sins in her sin things,
Plurabelle on her prose,
Sea shell ebb music,
Way river she flows.

J. A. Joyce

[jaguar72]

Seven sins in her sin things,
Plurabelle on her prose,
Sea shell ebb music,
Way river she flows.

J. A. Joyce

Ah, well, that's quite lovely but I can't place it at all... .

Finnegan's Wake, maybe?

You will have to tell me, Mr. Stephens.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[liam stephens]

Hi Gary,

It was a piece of doggerel verse by Joyce intended as an advertisment for Finnegans Wake.
('Anna Livia Plurabelle' is the river Liffey which flows through Dublin)

It is, of course, a pun on the old nursery rhyme:

Rings on her fingers,Bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

Regards - Liam.

[jaguar72]

Hi Gary,

It was a piece of doggerel verse by Joyce intended as an advertisment for Finnegans Wake.
('Anna Livia Plurabelle' is the river Liffey which flows through Dublin)

It is, of course, a pun on the old nursery rhyme:

Rings on her fingers,Bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

Regards - Liam.

Liam,

Maybe that's why I never made it through Finnegan's Wake (and I'm not sure I know anyone who did). Most of it (that is, most of what I actually read, you understand, since I didn't finish it) was lost on me.

Ah, well, doggerel verse or not, I still like the poem.

Thanks for the information...might come in handy... .

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Danny_Alvarez]

Gary, they won the third test and now the press is jumping on the bandwagon saying they will "definitely" win on the 'boxing day' test .... fickle, fickle, media.

i still think that england will win, i hope and i pray to gods i dont believe in that they don't, but i think they will still win.


Liam i enjoyed the Joyce bit you shared i thought it was great !

[Danny_Alvarez]

btw Willie is my all time favourite for many many many reasons i am a willie fanatic and i loved the poem.