chess exhibit, Maryhill Museum

near Goldendale, WA, Columbia River Gorge

beautiful chess sets, perhaps a hundred of them, were on exhibit at the Maryhill Museum. some classical, some whimsical, some simply strange. an old Chinese woman and her son spent hours looking at the sets, particularly the Eastern ones.

chess exhibit, Maryhill Museum

a shrunken woman with
ancient, ivory skin
stretched across
her face,
moved from exhibit
to exhibit examining
chessmen.

her son,
old himself, stepped
in the stream of Mandarin,
answered questions,
and translated signs that told
of histories and dynasties.

they lingered long
in that place,
patient and slow,
attending to detail
and design.

they studied puzzle-box bishops,
whalebone kings,
and soapstone pawns
polished with years.

behind glass
Indian knights rode elephants
and tiny Thai demons
swung swords.