The silence after the clock stops is heavier than the game

I was just sitting at the board, staring at a position I’d already lost—no, not lost, abandoned. The clock had stopped hours ago, but I stayed. Not to salvage anything, just to feel the weight of what wasn’t said. A pawn stood there, untouched. Light hit it at an angle that made it look like it was still moving. I don’t know why I waited. Maybe I’m learning how to lose without needing to win.