A Knight's Move

I rode the Route 7 bus four stops down the avenue to the civic park plaza. Under a broad sycamore tree, an outdoor stone chess table sat quiet, with several carved wooden pieces left standing mid-game. A white knight rested near the rim of the board. Calculating its path, I climbed onto the slate edge, wrapped both hands around the smooth polished wood of the knight, and lifted it. Stepping it two squares forward and one square to the left, I set it firmly down on a dark tile to shield an isolated pawn. The solid, muted thud against the stone was delightfully satisfying.