As I see it the main problem with this piece is that it attempts to deal with 2 seperate issues at once. This is only a problem becuase I do not believe they have been adequately intergrated. These 2 issues being:
1) the namesake, No-where-land
2) being a "pawn"
The first phrase seems to run in the right direction and sounds almost buddhist it origin. i.e. King Yama holding the 6 pieced pie of life. The life forces of those within being constantly reborn and so on.
In the second it bespeaks the fate of souls in "maya" and or "samsara" world of illusion. But the last bit, "done without" seems a bit contradictary to the body as a whole. Because if this were truly so, then why even bother writing something of this nature.
Third seems about right, most people are unwilling to be compassionate towards "strangers" keeping a lot of the world detatched from each other.
Now this one (4th) sticks out like a sore-thumb, did you forget the "pawn" can also move diagonally? You know, to overtake territory and capture the enemy. This line sums up the problem I am seeing in the piece. Because a pawn, though limited in motion and less individual still serves it's purpose and regardless of restrictions ultimately posesess the same power as all the other pieces. What's more is that the pawn holds a special power none of the others do, which is to rescue another greater piece through sacrificing itself.
"death to self is the portal to true life" ala jesus, krishna, buddha and so on.
Okay and then (5th) you speak of having but one duplicate, this doesn't fit with the metaphor very precisely. There are more than 2 pawns on the board. I see the potential here though, for accomplishing what I just stated about sacrifice and liberation. Only if by losing yourself and becoming a "pawn in a bigger plan," you speak of maybe recovering a knight or bishop etc.
Finally... I'm not sure I understand how you think it is possible that it is only unfamiliar to people no longer here.
I would have thought it more likely that those returning through the gate are the unfamiliar. As with each new birth they tend to forget the last. And as for the one's who have ascended, truth be known, ought to be the most familiar with the place as they have a birds-eye-view of the whole confounded contraption!
Lastly, true, earth may be "nowhere" but it is just as much a "somewhere" and this is what keeps it turnin' and burnin'.

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my other "half" *half-pint

um.. like it..

like too the idea

but the face is more blurry..

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Thrash Metal RulezZ

member: :iconitalia:

Aww thank you for using my picture.. And the text is very cool.. I like it

Here's my thoughts on your comment, d120l-t120l.

My 'pawn' section is entirely misinterpreted in your comment. What I had intended was to demonstrate what most chess players feel towards their pawns: "If they die, oh well, I've got a bishop/knight/queen left." Therefore, I'm also trying to stress that it seems that they are only important just before they reach the end, both to the player and to the oponnent. This is the feeling I was trying to stress that we, as humans, have: useless, pushing on and on, to eventually get to the end, for whatever it's worth.

As the duplicate, it's stating two things: One, it's stating that no matter how unique we are, there's always someone who's got all our good characteristics and none of our bad (or so it seems). It was referring to the 'puzzle' section as well, not necessarily like the pawns; however, if it were to be interpreted that way, it's stating that the chess game is summing up, coming to an end, and there are only two pawns left--and you are the one in the least favorable position.

The whole feeling of the... prose, I guess... is that Earth, being nowhere important, is full of people that are not important, who toil and toil day in, day out, all for nothing, so they can eventually die and have family members who didn't care say "Eh, he's dead, game over, we'll cry for a week, then move on."

You missed the entire point, I think.

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You and I, in a little toy shop, bought a bag of balloons with the money we got, set them free at the break of dawn, and one by one, they were gone.
-99 Red Balloons, Goldfinger

no offense but I'm a chess player; and I understand that if it weren't for the pawns the game would be lost instantly. As a matter of fact; 90% of the time my defense in the game relies upon my pawns. I don't "push to the end" so to speak until I've got the game almost won. Naturally; all of the opponents I've ever faced have seen them as a major threat and tried to take them out as fast as possible when I play them (no; not just people i know either... I used to play all over chicago on a team).

Anyway; overall I think it is nice use of the picture (i would have personally done something different with it; but a, I used fisks artwork; and b we have different writing styles). I do like it in it's own way...

I say good job (I'm not voting mainly because it would say I like this better than mine which would effectively throw the contest... heh)...

Much luck; may you claim one of the top 3.

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Per Dr. McNinja:
Man is only separated from Heaven by that which he will not ramp.

Same to you. Everyone, good luck on the contest; especially blackeri, whom I think deserves the top teir for the artwork section. I may be a little biased, heh.

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You and I, in a little toy shop, bought a bag of balloons with the money we got, set them free at the break of dawn, and one by one, they were gone.
-99 Red Balloons, Goldfinger

not to shabby
old chap :0

first of all speak for yourself and yourself alone, who appointed you spokesman for humanity?
you, my friend, are the one missing the point, just because you feel that life/people are unimportant (yourself/your life) doesn't mean they are( it is.) sorry i don't feel that way and i know a lot of other people who do not feel this way either.
as for the chess thing itself, frost is quite accurate, therefore your analogy for the most part is null and void on both ends.
maybe you have been lead to feel the way you do because you've lost so many times by not seeing the true value of the pawn!

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my other "half" *half-pint

So sorry if in my comment I wrote something that you didn't agree with. You have your methods of art, mine happens to be the spoken word and the relaying of feelings. I am not spokesperson of the human race, did not mean to convey that I was, and shouldn't have put what I did in my comment.

I'm done here; enjoy my piece or don't, not my place to decide.

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You and I, in a little toy shop, bought a bag of balloons with the money we got, set them free at the break of dawn, and one by one, they were gone.
-99 Red Balloons, Goldfinger