#NaPoWriMo April 2018 Day 16 Play

Some things are unforgettable
For all the right reasons,
Play-fights, for example.
Tussling, grappling, wrestling
Like expert ancient Greeks,
Testing strength for strength,
Trusting unwritten rules
Would hold
By mutual respect.
Brother, sister,
At an age when gender didn't matter,
Companions and compatriots
Creating and exploring worlds and lands
Nintendo never dreamed!
But then there came the night I still regret,
The night I dug my elbow in your back.
That was the night I'd realised
Some things can never change.
You were younger,
My little brother; I liked that
Slight advantage in our three years
Till that night.
We'd played a game of chess,
I, one step behind, struggling to see
What would be the consequence of every uncertain move,
You, three steps ahead,
Smiling as you planned your strategy.
You won, magnificently.
I knew then
That age was no advantage
Where superior intelligence was concerned!
I also learned
You can't settle a score
In the game of life
By an elbow in the back!

Una Kavanagh April 2018.