by LJ Frank

It’s a relatively simple attribute of control

to chastise a pawn and knight errant lower on the totem pole

the colorful paper work of career moves

for those further up the ladder realize the delicacy as a whole

between the love of the sacred and the profane.

The rich soil of background checks

fingerprinting, even in a cup,

extracting blood

a license written

and the sign of the cross is given,

the pawn gingerly steps across the chessboard

the intense scrutiny of the players

under the shaded camera lights of political theater,

competition is like a dark chocolate appetizer

it’s good for the heart

with the frosting made of real estate drippings

the players move their chess pieces quietly

the background music of a fugue,

brain mining arrives at a critical stage

before technology reveals the intent

of the King, Queen, Bishop and a mysterious sage.

Measuring the brain electrical pulses

forensic techniques legalized

brain fingerprinting tests the reliability

of others ‘guilty knowledge,’

thoughts imagined

magnetic resonance imaging a useful tool

while a software program determines

a visual and emotional awareness,

policies implemented while looking the other way

no surprises today,

the brain’s fingerprinting is now the future rhythm of work

and a billionaire guffawed as he boarded his private jet

to his vineyard in South America,

a sense of humor is just a smile away.