Ward And Chess 1962 Poem by Terry Collett

Ward sat
just in front of me
in class.

Ginger haired
with ears
that seemed
to go red at the tips
when someone
spoke to him.

He seldom
put his hand up
when questions
were asked
and if he did
his ears would go red
and his ginger hair
seemed to stand up
on end.

You play chess?
He asked me
one playtime.

Sure been playing
since I was 7 years old
I replied.

Play you now?
He said.

Sure if you like
and he took out
a pocket chess set
from his jacket pocket
and set it on the ground
of the grass.

We lay there
and he set up
the small pieces
and then we began.

He was good
and won
the two games
then the bell went
and we went
back to class.

Yehudit looked
over at me
her big blue eyes
seemed to
be asking me
where I went playtime.

I smiled at her
she smiled back.

Ward played
good chess
but she was
good at kissing
even if she didn't
play chess.

She knew the moves
as good as Ward did
but in a different game
and a different rule.

I saw her later
on the bus
after school.