A GAME OF CHESS

  The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne,
  Glowed on the marble, where the glass
  Held up by standards wrought with fruited vines
  From which a golden Cupidon peeped out                                  80
  (Another hid his eyes behind his wing)
  Doubled the flames of sevenbranched candelabra
  Reflecting light upon the table as
  The glitter of her jewels rose to meet it,
  From satin cases poured in rich profusion;
  In vials of ivory and coloured glass
  Unstoppered, lurked her strange synthetic perfumes,
  Unguent, powdered, or liquid— troubled, confused
  And drowned the sense in odours; stirred by the air
  That freshened from the window, these ascended                          90
  In fattening the prolonged candle-flames,
  Flung their smoke into the laquearia,
  Stirring the pattern on the coffered ceiling.

  Huge sea-wood fed with copper
  Burned green and orange, framed by the coloured stone,
  In which sad light a carved dolphin swam.

  Above the antique mantel was displayed
  As though a window gave upon the sylvan scene
  The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king
  So rudely forced; yet there the nightingale                             100
  Filled all the desert with inviolable voice
  And still she cried, and still the world pursues,
  "Jug Jug" to dirty ears.

  And other withered stumps of time
  Were told upon the walls; staring forms
  Leaned out, leaning, hushing the room enclosed.

  Footsteps shuffled on the stair.

  Under the firelight, under the brush, her hair
  Spread out in fiery points
  Glowed into words, then would be savagely still.
                        110

  "My nerves are bad to-night.
 Yes, bad.
 Stay with me.

  "Speak to me.
 Why do you never speak.
 Speak.

  "What are you thinking of? What thinking? What?
  "I never know what you are thinking.
 Think.
"

  I think we are in rats' alley
  Where the dead men lost their bones.


  "What is that noise?"
                               The wind under the door.

  "What is that noise now? What is the wind doing?"
                               Nothing again nothing.
                     120
                                                                    "Do
  "You know nothing? Do you see nothing? Do you remember
  "Nothing?"

     I remember
  Those are pearls that were his eyes.

  "Are you alive, or not? Is there nothing in your head?"
                                                                      But
  O O O O that Shakespeherian Rag—
  It's so elegant
  So intelligent                                                          130
  "What shall I do now? What shall I do?"
  I shall rush out as I am, and walk the street
  "With my hair down, so.
 What shall we do to-morrow?
  "What shall we ever do?"
                                       The hot water at ten.

  And if it rains, a closed car at four.

  And we shall play a game of chess,
  Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.


  When Lil's husband got demobbed, I said—
  I didn't mince my words, I said to her myself,                          140
  HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
  Now Albert's coming back, make yourself a bit smart.

  He'll want to know what you done with that money he gave you
  To get yourself some teeth.
 He did, I was there.

  You have them all out, Lil, and get a nice set,
  He said, I swear, I can't bear to look at you.

  And no more can't I, I said, and think of poor Albert,
  He's been in the army four years, he wants a good time,
  And if you don't give it him, there's others will, I said.

  Oh is there, she said.
 Something o' that, I said.
                       150
  Then I'll know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look.

  HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
  If you don't like it you can get on with it, I said.

  Others can pick and choose if you can't.

  But if Albert makes off, it won't be for lack of telling.

  You ought to be ashamed, I said, to look so antique.

  (And her only thirty-one.
)
  I can't help it, she said, pulling a long face,
  It's them pills I took, to bring it off, she said.

  (She's had five already, and nearly died of young George.
)              160
  The chemist said it would be alright, but I've never been the same.

  You are a proper fool, I said.

  Well, if Albert won't leave you alone, there it is, I said,
  What you get married for if you don't want children?
  HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
  Well, that Sunday Albert was home, they had a hot gammon,
  And they asked me in to dinner, to get the beauty of it hot—
  HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
  HURRY UP PLEASE ITS TIME
  Goonight Bill.
 Goonight Lou.
 Goonight May.
 Goonight.
                    170
  Ta ta.
 Goonight.
 Goonight.

  Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night.

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