Barracuda Chess

They pass, the figures with barracuda eyes
and scorpion tails. They carry white porcelain
miniatures of themselves in infinite regress
across a chessboard extending to invisible horizons.
They move only on the white squares.

On the black squares stand monoliths of red sandstone
in Zion shapes that could be ancient statues
or mere weathering. No plaques declare
the names of long-gone barracuda kings
but sand piles deep around their feet.

Overhead a rippled layer of chrome reflects
distorted squares, white china figurines,
red pitted stone and black sand-edged footprints
but I can’t find my image on the underside
of the liquid sky.


Collection available! Knocking from Inside