Crossword Genius

Possibly poetic lies about a motherless man (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

lines

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'possibly poetic' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'lies about a motherless man' is the wordplay.
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'a motherless man' becomes 'n' (knight, a man in chess. I am not sure about the 'motherless' bit.).
'lies' placed around 'n' is 'LINES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lines that I've seen before include "imposition" , "Actor's text" , "Wrinkles; rail tracks" , "Items" , "Long thin strokes" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app