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| MY little love, do you remember, | |
| Ere we were grown so sadly wise, | |
| Those evenings in the bleak December, | |
| Curtained warm from the snowy weather, | |
| When you and I played chess together, | 5 |
| Checkmated by each other’s eyes? | |
| |
| Ah! still I see your soft white hand | |
| Hovering warm o’er Queen and Knight; | |
| Brave Pawns in valiant battle stand; | |
| The double Castles guard the wings; | 10 |
| The bishop, bent on distant things, | |
| Moves, sidling, through the fight. | |
| |
| Our fingers touch; our glances meet, | |
| And falter; falls your golden hair | |
| Against my cheek; your bosom sweet | 15 |
| Is heaving. Down the field, your Queen | |
| Rides slow, her soldiery all between, | |
| And checks me unaware. | |
| |
| Ah me! the little battle ’s done: | |
| Disperst is all its chivalry. | 20 |
| Full many a move since then have we | |
| Mid life’s perplexing checkers made, | |
| And many a game with fortune played; | |
| What is it we have won? | |
| This, this at least,—if this alone: | 25 |
| |
| That never, never, nevermore, | |
| As in those old still nights of yore, | |
| (Ere we were grown so sadly wise,) | |
| Can you and I shut out the skies, | |
| Shut out the world and wintry weather, | 30 |
| And, eyes exchanging warmth with eyes, | |
| Play chess, as then we played together. | |
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