06.30.22 Atari Memories, Frozen Perfectly in Place. (Poetry)

To honor Atari’s amazing 50th Anniversary this week, I decided to write a new poem. This one’s inspired by #Atari and a lifetime of fun, amusement & great times. These were all produced by Atari’s amazing home gaming consoles, 8-bit computer lines & arcade games which are dotted throughout our lives and memories. This poem was written on 6/30/22, in honor of Atari’s wonderful, glorious 50 years of entertainment this week. Thanks, Atari! And here’s to the next 50!

A huge fan, -BB

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“Atari Memories, Frozen Perfectly in Place”

by Brian Bolding

*

Sitting on a plush green shag carpet

Surrounded by light brown wood panelled walls

I became mesmerized by these amazing Atari games

My Dad bought from various overpriced shopping malls

*

First was Steeplechase, then Missile Command

Pac-Man and Q-Bert, to name a few

My childhood was written in the stars

In that darkly lit living room, with Big Sis, just me and you

*

Pitfall just so happened to come home one day

Followed by Asteroids & Activision’s amazing Enduro

I had no idea I could love a video game so much

And longed to hear that swooshing sound, driving in the snow

*

My Dad shouting at us to go to bed

But I’m not done with Video Pinball just yet:

“Turn out the lights! Turn that shit off!”

he hollered, in his best impression of a drunken Vietnam Vet

*

We missed the premiere of Facts of Life

We forgot the Challenger exploded

So many hours spent with that one button joystick

Our imaginations ran wild & eventually eroded

*

Defender’s waiting, Video Olympics too

Grab that paddle and let’s play some rounds

(Before it’s time to go to bed

And the end of bleepity-bleep sounds)

*

So many memories, from so long ago

Losing ourselves almost every morning

as the horses gallop and that lasso goes out

shoving down breakfast as we finish up Barnstorming

*

Back in the far reaches of my memories

We were so innocent & so pure

Playing Atari all Summer, from dusk until dawn

When you said “Wanna play?!” I always said “Sure!!”

*

My chili bowl haircut & your big puffy perm

trapped in Olan Mills snow drifts

With Mom and Dad smiling like crazy

Surrounded by empty glistening Christmas gifts

*

We still smile in that photo from so long ago

I can almost feel the joy in my face

Now at the age of 47, could you imagine?

all those Atari memories, frozen perfectly in place.

*

Thank you, Atari!

06.30.22