Chess is a Cruel Mistress

On the board the pieces dance

A game of more than fate and chance

Each move a calculated glance

In the grip of Chess I love to prance

Pieces in their silent stride

Where joy and agony collide

Her love is harsh yet dignified

And in her spell I'm ever tied

Chess is a mistress cruel and kind

How she twists my eager mind

Pleasure and pain in every find

But I wonder how I can be so blind

I struggle with each clumsy play

Moments slip and drift away

Vict'ries are brief but losses stay

In Her shadow I tend to sway

So complex the love we share

Her whispers always fill the air

In defeat I'm left to stare

At Her beauty with despair

Chess is a mistress cruel and kind

How she twists my eager mind

Pleasure and pain in every find

But why, oh why am I so blind?