Write about your first crush.

Chess was the game.

To bedazzle him

I tried to master

The four-move mate—

As if I was competing for fame.

He was tall, okay.

But he was so terrible at playing the game—

so shame!

So instead of noticing my admiration,

He had that boulder-hard belief

That I was a tomboy—lame!

My patience was thinning as the air;

As he suggested we switch to

Games of the General.

And he still had no luck

No trick, no strategy,

No win whatsoever. . .goodness!

I realized that can’t be happening,

I can’t have a crush on a guy

I kept beating over and over again.

My romantic thoughts vanished.

I crashed my crush.

Game over.