CHECKMATE Life is a game of Chess The lowly pawns are its soul Getting the King is the primary goal Playing it safe will generally not suffice In order to win, you might need to sacrifice If you wish to succeed, and the King to unseat You must take a wild ride, on the edge of defeat There is a melding of the Church and State The King stays safely behind the Castle gates Bishops flank the Royalty's sides, Assisting the King, from where he hides Always at war, moved around on the board Many combatants will fall, under thrust of the sword A battle _frame_d in stark terms of Black versus White Only one side prevails, after jousting of the Knights Do not be complacent, with the pieces that you took You might be crushed by the Elephant weight of the Rook The real battle lies beyond the Castle moat The key to the game is for a pawn to promote There many possibilities, to complicate With planning and strategy, to check and mate The fiercest warrior in the battle scene - the most powerful piece on the board- is the Queen