For The PEW

Dear pawn,

Who is your king?
On this chessboard of freewill, whom do you serve?
Your desires, or are you sired?

Dear Olu,

To be a pawn is not as straightforward a game as you may think. I know, I know—a pawn only ever moves forward, usually straight ahead, and sometimes diagonally to achieve a kill—however, hear me out. “Why is this brother talking about chess this early morning?” Whether or not you are a fan is inconsequential to this discourse; please, lend me your ears for two minutes.

Pawn, the word, has two meanings, as you would find with many other words in this funny language we call English. I begin with the one popular with everyone: foot soldier — pedōn in Latin, paon in Old French, pawyn in Middle English, and finally “pawn” in modern English.

In the game of chess, as with war, a pawn is usually the least valuable member, sent forth as an expendable quality. Why? They are the least skilled and therefore easily available for hire. Ever hear the term “infantryman”? That is a synonym! From the root word “infant,” these are merely babes in the military sent to do the dirty work on behalf of the king.

As a pawn, you have no control over your actions; your choices are limited to begin with! You move forward when told to, never an option of backtracking, and many times you are stuck in one position by the opposition until he wishes to take you off the board to advance his own agenda. Yes, there is a promise of promotion to a higher rank at the end of the chessboard, but, Olu, you and I know that is only a mirage.

Outside chess and war, the word pawn also appears in the field of commerce. To pawn something is to give it in exchange for something else; usually, this is done at below-market rate, when the item being pawned is valued for way less than it actually is because of the desperation to trade it off for quick money, usually. Say you wish to sell an old heirloom (your grandmother’s ring, for example) for quick cash—you go to a pawn shop and trade it for a tenth of its worth. Quick money, quick pleasure.

To be a pawn is to be under the bondage of your master, only moving at his behest, unable to make your own choices. To be pawned is to be devalued for quick pleasure, a quick release. Your worth is determined by the pawnbroker, who is merciless in ensuring you are downgraded to your barest minimum, yet always asking for more. With every sale, your value decreases.

By now, dear Olu, you should know I am not talking about pawn but about the other word that sounds similar like a pun.

Be wise.

Yours in the faith,
The Medical Poet.