Permanent Check-Mate

I am standing naked on a crowded street But nobody seems to be noticing me I am less embarrassed by my nakedness Than by my invisibility They all seem to be looking right through me Or staring down at the concrete walk With iPod plugs shoved deep into their ears Nobody can hear me talk I try flagging down a taxi But their “Off Duty” lights are on On the black and white checkerboard I am the sacrificial pawn The Queen moves in every direction The King is rooted in place I try catching the eye of a policeman But he has mirrored glasses upon his face The world is swirling in circles The Bishop runs off with a boy My wife no longer lies with me She prefers her electrical toys The teacher wakes me up in class Why am I in school when I’m fifty-five I don’t remember being captured by the Rook Is it possible I’m no longer alive The King has no more safe squares to go Laying him down is his only fate Tangled up in a sticky spider web of life I’m stuck in a permanent check-mate