Arcade Mania
by Michael Doyle

Remembering back to the 80s when
I couldn't wait to put another quarter in
A video star in the dark arcade
Was a revolution ready made

My spaces were invaded rows at a time
When I wasn't watching ectoplasmic slime
Atari-ized as we were bouncing off walls
These were good times as I recall

But it should never be forgot
That at the time, society felt people should not be shot
A war of the worlds sketched out in concept
Becomes the relic of ages subject to neglect

Patterns visualized into speculating
Theories of stratagem were percolating
Once crowned kings of the rows of the arcade
We hung out in the depths of the Starcade

Achieving high scores would make some squeal
But for nearly all of us, that was the appeal
One that as we played again and again for more
We found nearly impossible to ignore

Caught up in that magical flow
Brushed into the video game's glow
Electronic design boomed in evolution
As the games grew into our own revelation

From a sliced pizza, Pac Man appeared
In a saucy slice that become revered
Bundled cuteness with its hungry mouth
For the women, removed all remaining doubt

Reversed engineering for bangles of glitz
Caused established patterns to meet new tricks
World changing technology would continue to refine
As the worlds charge by continuous design

Booms boom until thy tilt into bust
The game leverage lost its trust
And just as suddenly, this world was gone
The urge to game wasn't over, it just moved on

(c) August 26, 2020  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved