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''We humans are only a sparkle in the eye of the evolution of a persistent, sturdy, powerful, single huge life-form on planet Earth.'' --Ricardo Guerrero, biologist. Once Chess was important. In mediaeval Europe Chess Moralities by various authors were exceeded only by the Bible as best-selling, i.e., most hand-copied before printing. All poetry should be allusive and ambiguous to some extent. CMV is the first one to unify the seven pieces as separate speakers and has especially split personality. At first what is ''over your head'' is ''incoherent.'' You've seen those drawings, one by chessist Sam Loyd, that looked at or turned one way is the man on horseback and the other way the damsel in distress, or whatever combination the artist's imagination and skill conjure up -- not too different from a CV with a theme. Trying to do that in this poem, explained in follow-up, is not so successful as other enforcements, such as in CMXVII rhyming all ten syllables across two adjacent lines.
Kasparov played atop the Twin Towers in 1990s. Written after 11.September.2001, ''Whenas the matter settles and air clears'' could refer to the dust cloud settling in that particular whammee. Superficially. Rather, it has nothing to do with those jets. In the end of the seven speakers, with the Rook, you are supposed to realize there have been a double reading and meaning. One, the simple story of Chess comparisons to other arts. Two, a scientific chemical acid-base -- or is it replacement reaction? A double story line as extreme as you can get? In other words, like the Sam Loyd picture you whirl around to change totally with the same features, it reads as complete account both ways. The strongest chemical remarks include Falcon's ''matter settling and air clearing'' which could be within a beaker after all. Also Pawn's ''pathways to higher matter'' and ''change of phase.'' Knight's ''stir-up [not stirrup] of charges.'' Queen's ''copper coins convert...'' Rook's ''Whileas acids balance with a base/ Reaction rates run one way to displace.'' Bishop's lines are oasis of stability in the middle as pure math, mentioning two impossibilities by pen and paper of tri-secting angle and squaring circle.
Also the third story, really the first and only one, in it is of course each piece's mentioning in logical development his own metal: Falcon gold Au, Pawn silver Ag, Knight iron Fe, Bishop mercury Hg, King tin Sb, Queen copper Cu, Rook lead Pb. The end.
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