cosmos checkmate

I had a strategy
I was confident of my skill
had I not won a million times before?
had I not learnt the art at the feet of a master?
the gods gave me the blank poker face
and I knew it was a facade to conceal their nerves

I played black
patiently waiting for them to reveal their strategy
and smiled as I thought of ways to counteract it
sacrificing my pawns for the greater good
developing my pieces at strategic points on the board
smelling success a mile away

They kept their faces deadpan
hesitating just in case I wanted to retreat
and just as I thought of how unworthy my opponents were
the gods cried, 'checkmate!'
and the cosmos seemed to mock me
and I learnt that even the pawns do matter