Endgame

-

An old man,

in his last years of life,

plays a game of chess,

with Death.

 

"the deal is simple",

said death, so cold

"If I win, you loose,

And your soul comes with me."

 

"but if you win, the deal does change,

you live a few more

tell your friends

and we have another game."

 

so death and the man,

did play a game,

and were equal tie to tie,

and nither lost thier ground.

 

"A check." said death

as he topped a rook,

"you make this too easy for me."

 

"A mate."Said man

as he took the queen,

leaving death without his shield.

 

So the battle did fight,

and niether did win,

untill ate untill the night

when death had his fill

 

"this grows old" said death,

"like rotten bones, or the walls of

dead cities. I'm death, you loose, and face it:

you haven't a hope in Hell"

 

But the man did smile,

and moved his pawn,

and traded it for a queen.

"Checkmate."

 

And death did stare,

at the white queen

and seemed to ponder a moment,

then collected his robes and left.

 

"Man," said death "I'm warning you

you may cheat death once,

you may cheat death twice,

but in the end you will wish you hadn't"

 

And man just smiled

as death did leave,

for he new the prophecy was true...

 

but in the end,

like so many things,

it was better to leave it to chess.