Deciphering Codes

A Game of Wits

How confusing it is,
this game that we play,
so many rules to follow,
pieces to remember,
moves to make.
And I find that's it's my turn,
but I've lost my cheat sheet,
so I look around,
trying to remember how this works.
It's been a while since you last played,
but now it has started again,
and I can't bring myself to stop it.
Yet, how am I supposed to continue
if I don't even understand your move?
I flip through my codes,
trying to find an answer,
when I realize this is a problem
that no book can solve for me.
So I'll be working day and night
to translate this foreign language
you've shoved in my general direction.
Hopefully I'll learn the right dialect,
but even then,
will I know how to react
or simply flounder about on the floor,
a fish out of water,
gasping for air
as it floats about my head,
mocking me.
So please,
be patient with me,
I'm rather new to this game.
But once I get a hang of it,
expect me to strike fast and strong
so as to keep your attention on
our battle of wits
before it whittles away to nothing.