Ben Paynter - old bill

park bench, three down
from old bill playing chess
with himself

the birds sing summer song
old bill mumbles, “rook, king
castle”

children run past, mad young
crazy with life lungs, the birds
fly away

old bill doesn’t glance up
seems to say, “I’ve seen where
you are going younguns,

“laugh before life
takes your queen”

Ben Paynter

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/old-bill/