So Much Wisdom

I learned chess from my grandfather,
A man wise, with silver hair
Slicked back to reveal
Spanish and Filipino lineage.
He never spoke as we played,
Instead I watched his every move
On the board and off.
I realized, as in life,
The game you play,
So intense and absorbing,
Is just part of something bigger.
I pondered my next move,
While my grandfather sipped a beer,
Chewed on some peanuts,
And played with my younger cousin,
In my mind, a war was waging,
My knights on alert,
Bishops guarding my Queen,
Pawns at the ready,
But for him, there was no war,
Only peace, laughter and family.
I miss those days,
Learning from Grandpa Isidro,
Without so much as a sound,
He left me so much wisdom.