It started at the IGA on Main
Tucked in a corner by the ice
A cabinet of curiosity
Escapism at a reasonable price
For the boy it was a revelation
A yellow dot navigating a maze
Being able to control the chaos
Only fueled the growing craze
The fuse had been ignited
His little world turned upside down
For the cost of a Hershey’s Bar
He could escape his small farm town
The revolution had only just begun
Throngs of kids chasing a high score
Pac-Man was joined by Donkey Kong
And the lines stretched out the door
Before he knew it the world expanded
From one game at the local grocery store
To the cocktail tables at Pizza Hut
And yet the world craved more
Within a year it reached fever pitch
The “passing fad” outgrowing its space
Until the downtown mall reopened its doors
And the video game Mecca found its place
The masses set out on pilgrimage
Gathering from counties near and far
To the Crown Arcade at the Gallery Mall
Where video killed the board game star
And the boy remained enthralled
Escaping life one quarter at a time
In the dark and blinking paradise
He found both his rhythm and his rhyme.
