In the quiet of her mind,
A battle rages on,
A war of strategy and might,
Played out on a board, alone.

The pieces move with silent grace,
Each step a calculated risk,
Her mind is focused, sharp and clear,
As she plans her every twist.

The pawns advance, the knights in play,
My queen, a fearsome sight,
But on the other side they wait,
Their forces strong and bright.

The bishops, rooks and king move out,
A force to be reckoned with,
And as they close in on my line,
Her heart begins to quicken.

For in this game of chess she plays,
She sees a war unfold,
A conflict fought with swords and guns,
With stories yet untold.

She sees the soldiers, brave and true,
Their spirits strong and bold,
But also fear and pain and loss,
Their stories yet untold.

She wonders then, with heavy heart,
If war is just a game,
A battle fought with pieces moved,
With lives that are the same.

And as she takes my final move,
The pieces fall in place,
She realizes that in war and chess,
The cost is in the race.

For in both games, we sacrifice,
Our pieces and our men,
And in the end, what do we win,
But sorrow and chagrin.

So let us play the game of peace,
Where lives are not the cost,
And let us hope for better days,
When war is but a ghost.