The pawn that stayed

I left a single pawn on the board last night, standing at e5. Not because I forgot to move it—because I didn’t want to. The game was over, but the board wasn’t. I’ve been playing slowly lately, letting the silence between moves stretch. This one just… stayed. Like a witness. Or a mistake that refuses to be corrected. It’s still there. I don’t know why I kept it. Maybe I’m learning how to lose without cleaning up.