a pantoum for Bobby F.
[Robert James Fischer died January 17, 2008 in Reykjavík]An Advocated Variant
Did not accept
Stripped and Icelandic
Hans-Gerhardt and Regina
Sister bought at the store
Stripped and Icelandic
At 13, his mother asked
Sister bought at the store
Erasmus mounted his gold
At 13, his mother asked
the youngest ever to qualify
Erasmus mounted his gold
the youngest ever
the youngest ever to qualify
the youngest
the youngest ever
meteoric, the hard-fought struggle
the youngest
before the interzonal
meteoric, the hard-fought struggle
Palma de Mallorca
before the interzonal
Larsen. Heller. Gűbner.
Palma de Mallorca
Taimanov. Larsen. Petrosian.
Palma de Mallorca
in lines that neither had prepared
Taimanov. Larsen. Petrosian.
Reykjavík
in lines that neither had prepared
betrayed and swindled
Reykjavík
Reykjavík
betrayed and swindled
openings very deep
Reykjavík
betrayed and swindled
openings very deep
Reykjavík
Reykjavík
openings very deep
seven of the next
Reykjavík
Reykjavík
seven of the next
12.5-8.5 Reykjavík
Iconoclastic boom, iconoclastic strong arm
12.5-8.5 Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Iconoclastic boom, iconoclastic strong arm
Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Iconoclastic pawn
Reykjavík
The match will continue
Iconoclastic pawn
There is no limit to the number
The match will continue
Photocopied aftermath—
No limit to the number
Probable biological fathers
Photocopied aftermath—
Fischer clock expired and overdue
Probable biological fathers
Solving the 15—an advocated variant
Fischer clock expired and overdue
Desperate but narrating
Solving the 15—an advocated variant
A Rook House
Desperate but narrating
Annotated and combined
A Rook House
Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse
Lightly annotated and boldly combined
In the final decades
Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse
Anti-Semitic
In the final decades
all his conditions
Anti-Semitic
Hungary and Japan
all his conditions
All his conditions
Hungary and Japan
Reykjavík
all his conditions
Until his death
Reykjavík
Hans-Gerhardt and Regina
Until his death
He would not accept—
openings very deep
seven of the next
Reykjavík
Reykjavík
seven of the next
12.5-8.5 Reykjavík
Iconoclastic boom, iconoclastic strong arm
12.5-8.5 Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Iconoclastic boom, iconoclastic strong arm
Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Iconoclastic pawn
Reykjavík
The match will continue
Iconoclastic pawn
There is no limit to the number
The match will continue
Photocopied aftermath—
No limit to the number
Probable biological fathers
Photocopied aftermath—
Fischer clock expired and overdue
Probable biological fathers
Solving the 15—an advocated variant
Fischer clock expired and overdue
Desperate but narrating
Solving the 15—an advocated variant
A Rook House
Desperate but narrating
Annotated and combined
A Rook House
Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse
Lightly annotated and boldly combined
In the final decades
Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse
Anti-Semitic
In the final decades
all his conditions
Anti-Semitic
Hungary and Japan
all his conditions
All his conditions
Hungary and Japan
Reykjavík
all his conditions
Until his death
Reykjavík
Hans-Gerhardt and Regina
Until his death
He would not accept—
posted by murat11 at 11:32 AM
4 Comments:
Checkmate. And in your favor, man.
You've taken the rising pantoum form and mimicked the building tension in a chess game. Great tribute to BF, to chess, and to the form. Bravo!
BTW, our netflix copy of "Once" arrived yesterday and we watched it last night. You were right--a polished garnet of a film. Thanks for the recommendation, Cud'n Paschal.
I was unfamiliar with the pantoum form before this offering. It suits the subject well, it has the rhythm of a good chess match.
Synchronicities abound, miladies, both of you catching the rhythmic chess match in the poem's form, something I was completely unaware of, while writing. I like how your readers' eyes catch - nay - further invent the poem. Thank you very much.
Methinks Bobby F still be cruisin' the ethers, too: there are a few snags in the form that I caught, but every time I tried to fix the snags, something else cropped up. I'm fairly obsessive about such snags (who the hell else justifies margins?), but this poem refused to cooperate. I finally chalked it up to Bobby himself, NEVER one to play by the rules.
My juniors informed me of the passing this morning: we were writing pantoums, so I decided to join in the "fun."
Peace/out poets.
San: Glad "Once" did the trick.
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