Queen's Chess Poem by Eleonora Nieuwjaar

This developing Chess poem is written by me last week. It is a narrative poetry work that describes the love between two Queens, but then within the context of the game of chess.

In this poem, the ‘black’ Queen, Eleanor, could be imagined as a ‘Queen without a country’ as she caused a scandal when she abdicated her throne for listening to her sexuality rather following the path of royalty. In many ways she’s still a Queen in her efforts stimulating people, business and government to implement a new balance for people, planet and profits. Her female partner, the ‘white’ Queen, Blanche, wasn’t a Queen by birth. She became Eleanor’s Queen in love.

Together they acquired popularity and established themselves as the ‘Queen Couple’.

In modern chess there is no debating that Queens, other than Kings, are the most powerful, and therefore most valuable, pieces on a chessboard. Queens, fighting each other with their strength and reach.

However, in this poem, both Queens are lovers – and not enemies as in chess. And, other than in chess, the Queen Couple feels no need to checkmate opposite Kings. On the contrary, they challenge each other in the game of love.

The poem holds a four sextet’s with a strict rhyme scheme <a><b><c><a><d><c>, with the “turn”, or “volta”, in the second part of the fourth sextet.