PAD Day 4: A Verbose Battle

Today's dual prompts from Poetic Asides and NaPoWriMo:
(1) write a poem about a beginning and/or an end, and
(2) write an "enigma" poem, i.e., a poem that describes something without really naming it, a sort of riddle if you will. So without further comment, here it mine, which I think came out more as an extended metaphor than an "enigma". It shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

War of Words

I begin this conversation with a word,

one with twice as much value

as it would normally have. You respond

with another that connects somehow

to mine. Our dance of language begins.

Our options are limited - sometimes we

scramble and scratch for words that are

not there -  but we make the most

with what we have.  Sometimes we really

don't understand the ones we use, but

we use them anyway to serve our purpose

and give ourselves the advantage.

Our back-and-forth continues, always

making sure what we say intersects

and fits into the dialog, all the work

of our knowledge spread before us,

an intricate grid. Finally, with luck,

I get the last word, leaving you

speechless, outscored, holding the bag,

until next time, when maybe you will be

the one who has more to say, as we spar

with words, out here on the tiles.