I’ve got this nice chess set at home
It’s made of clear and frosted glass to denote the spaces
The pieces themselves are made of the same

In the ensuing years I’ve used it for everything
Except for what it was intended
It made a great coaster or placemat for anything that landed on my table

The other night I washed it in the kitchen sink and it fractured
Not in a straight line down the middle but in two distinct pieces
That resembled a mini jigsaw puzzle

For reasons I won’t divulge I haven’t spoken to my kid in over a month
She’s away at college doing her thing and I’m at home doing mine
We were both wrong and we are both too stubborn to admit it

I tried to put the two pieces of the chess set back together
And much to my surprise they fit
Broken in two but still somehow intact

I hope the same can be said about us
That there is no checkmate in this little game we’re playing
Despite all the bad moves, I hope we will call it a draw and play on