Robo, I and Chess

On a bright morning, in the distant future

Robo and I play chess for the hundredth time

I lose as always, without a frown

"Still can't register how defeat doesn't affect

the likes of you, an international master"

My AI robot asks once again, as it always does

Over the years, the answer hasn't changed

"All I play for is to have a good time

To entertain myself & unwind from work"

"I don't get you sometimes, master

Who can play a competitive game

For anything other than to win"

Says Robo, my little robot friend

"I don't think you'll ever understand"

I pat my only pal's head

Standing up, I begin drifting to my world

"Writing another poem today?", it questions

"You bet", I grin, snapping my fingers

In a rather dramatic tone

"I wonder if I can beat you at that too"

Robo exclaims, and I halt midstep

"No, you cannot", I brush it off

A thought too silly to consider

"Well, some things sure suggest otherwise

You're a chess champion, but you lose to me

I know more poetry styles than you do

Possessing a vocabulary with which you can't compete

Amn't I the one who always proofreads your work?

All the reasons why I could overshadow you easily"

I smile faintly, "Come with me"

With its puny wheels, it trails behind

I drive us both to a local cafe

My eyes browse, I find the spot

Taking a seat at the empty table

Right next to a young boy, waiting for someone

Treating myself to a pastry because I feel like it

His buttoned shirt & cologne gives it away

"Go, hear their conversation, metallic friend"

I nudge Robo, the robot- but it looks at me puzzled

"It'll begin shortly, his date will be here soon"

It nods as it goes away to follow my command

A beautiful girl comes & pulls the chair beside the guy

They order different coffees and discuss hobbies

A little chit chat and talk about college

After a while, they leave their separate ways

As I see Robo returning, I ask it what it found

"How do you think their first date went?"

"It looked fabulous, as far as I could tell

They're calm & relaxed in the other's company

Like the kind to end up in a relationship

And who knows, even happily marry"

"Except they're stupid youngsters

Who want nothing to do with that

Looking for love not knowing what it is

Hoping they'd just stumble upon the one

One thing for sure, this date wasn't it

They lack spark and chemistry together

No laughter or nervousness in their voice

Neither of them wants things to proceed

And of this fact, the other is well aware

Because what truly is young love after all

If it doesn't even make the heart flutter?

"Follow me again", I instruct, heading out the door

"The school sports competition must be almost done"

We arrive in time for the archery awards

Sophomore players standing on the winner's podium

I fold my arms as I hear their speeches

When they've each said their piece, I turn back

To face the robot who thinks it can outshine me

"Which medal do you think hurts the most?"

It ponders a minute, "A prize is a win,

So why would the awarded feel sad?

But if I must answer, it's obvious

Of the three, the bronze ranks the least"

I sigh, "I'm afraid that's not the case

The one who won silver resents it most

Because they're the one who lost a gold

The only one on the podium to lose the last round

To be a loser amongst winners, there's no fate worse

Robo argues, "But it still outranks bronze

Wouldn't that put silver in the middle

And what is the bronze so happy about

If both the other medals are above theirs?"

"Bronze is about survival, not victory

What matters more is that they made the cut

They crawled up with much difficulty

From a crowd that didn't win any"

I describe as I walk back to the car

"I'm parched, let's stop at the local store

I'll help myself to a beverage & buy you new cells"

My Robo follows me like an obedient kid

While I scan the aisle racks for some juice

The sight of a woman in rags catches my eye

As she bags a can of baby food and a few pads

I meet her eye with my lips sealed tight

Watching her run through the door

Praying she won't get caught

Robo interrupts, "Wasn't that theft?

If it was wrong, why not report it?"

Kneeling, I rest a hand on its shoulder

"I don't claim it is legal or right

But sometimes you've got to do all you can

To keep you & your family alive

The store owner can afford a few missing items

But a mother can't bear her starving child

Poverty or the system gives her no way out

So I look away as she makes her own

Some words are better unsaid

Some lawbreakers deserve better than to rot in jail"

Tears well up in my eyes as I check out

"I've got my drink, let's go"

On the drive back home, I reflect

"Humans are complex creatures, Robo

No algorithm can ever truly predict

What an aching heart feels

You'll never get it & I cannot explain

The hidden meaning behind our odd ways

Why men raise arms against

their brothers, they haven't ever met

How the ones at the top could have it all

and still feel alone

Why a girl turns down

a boy she loves madly

How a parent's blood senses

the danger their child is in

Why they tell their kid

to yell 'fire' as they run for help

How all us humans are alike

yet segregated in caste, color & gender

Why we say one thing

but mean the other

How are bellies are filled full

still our hands ask more to hold

Emotions are foreign to you

So how can you ever think to write

without having known & lived pain"

Robo is processing what I just said

With his buffering monitor, I can tell

I decide it's time for my final blow

To put the matter to rest

Once and for all

"Fancy another chess round?" I ask

"Unusual request for this time of the day

You do know the Sun is about to set?"

"I'm aware it's not noon, Robo

But does it matter if you're down to play?"

"Challenge accepted. You're on"

"Let's do this then," I remark

Just as I pull up in the driveway

I unbutton my sleeves

Rolling them up to my elbows

We set up the board for chess

Robo flips the coin & I get white

So I move my piece first

"King's Pawn- calculating further moves"

It says before resorting to French Defense

"Interesting, then I'll do this"

The game goes on as we both loosen

Robo scans all moves ever played

But before it concludes the best one,

I cunningly switch up my gameplay

To make it kill it's own time

Sacrificing my queen to shake things up

While my knight surrenders in vain

But mind you, my merciless rooks compensate

And my dutiful bishops protect

While my pawns glance the scene

Dancing their way past the bloodbath

Robo's usually good at the game

But I swear I feel it heat up

Now we're down to the endgame

All I have is a rook and a pawn

As both his bishops block my way

"Executing rook checkmate fortification defense"

But as it sees me slack, it moves to attack

I charge with a devious plan of my own

It takes a while to revert back to defense

And if fate allows, that's all I'll need

I take out a bishop as my pawn gets held hostage

I move my rook to ambush the black king

The helpless bishop shields the crown

Even if it's suicide, just to stay in the game

To Robo's surprise, I move the pawn instead

"Opponent's pawn about to promote

Calculating best possible counterattack"

Its screen displays as it captures my rook

I choose another rook to bring back to life

Closing the border my rook builds closer

In which the powerless king lays

The bishop threatens often

But I slide past its slanting lane

The box for a moment expands a bit

Alas the king is too slow to escape

My rook soon charges back

Only for the trap to constrict again

All an elaborate tactic to stall

I smile at its timer

"There is a way to draw, you know

But I refuse to play by the book

Not that it matters anyway

Considering you've got

mere seconds to spare"

It glances at a clock that's up

Robo shakes my hand as I get up.

It acts professional but is shaken within

It's not used to play games it doesn't win

"Loss on time. Black loses the game"

It announces after registering defeat

"Don't doubt my skills ever again", I joke

Pouring my soda in a glass- my victory sip

"My algorithm detects a vast change

in the way you, this once, played

Similar to your style back in your day

Like a hibernating animal suddenly awake

It's a bit of a stretch, but do tell

Has losing all these years

been a mere pretense?"

I nod, "Apparently, you've caught on

You might be my creation, after all

But it's all been for reasons too complex

that you can't even begin to comprehend"

"What do you know, metallic friend

Of overbearing expectations

that accompany a grand win

All achievements do is raise the bar

of contentment, joy, and pride

I spent nights designing you, Robo

Just so I could lose to you each day

To release some of the burden that strained

You were my ultimate escape

to forget the draining world I left behind

For the sake of my inner peace

away from the eyes & limelight

"But I'm still curious, though

Why complicate things

when you could've secured

a much easier win?"

"Consider it me nailing your coffin

Dragging your inflated ego through dust"

I mock in a teasing tone

"Except I'm a robot, with no coffin to be

I can get disassembled at most, that's all"

"Don't you tempt me", I act serious

"No way, master, you wouldn't dare!"

We both end up laughing in the end

"But there's a lesson to take here, little Robo

Analyse how many more blunders

I did than you, and yet won

Means I can write well

even if I occasionally err

Recall how I started predictable

Confusing you throughout midgame

Only to end on a timeout

All just to show you

That poetry is more about breaking free

Not some handbook rules to abide by

To make things flow is the goal

Even if a late victory is a price to pay

Just as a game demands

a player to read the board

instead of rewinding past matches

You speak your heart out with a poem

Not caring for the opinion of the masses

Something with which no intelligence can help

You don't know what people go through

And more importantly, how they feel

Your work may be grammatically correct

But who's to say if it'll breathe?

You sure can put a few words together

But can you weave them real nice

For how could your value not wither away

As soon as the magic of a human touch arrives"

"Note this down, Robo; Pay me heed

Remember well, it's not your role

Falls far beyond your scope

Help me write if that's your wish

But don't travel the road yourself

I can very well see a dead end, nothing but ruin

So do what you're good at, carrying out tasks

Render me company as I bore

And leave it to me and the poets

To mesmerise the curious readers

with our enchanting poetry & prose"