up, down, up, down
left, right, left, right
B A B A (start)
is where it began,
passed desk to desk
when the teacher was
not looking, promising
unlimited life, you
can not die, now beat
the game, earn the money,
prestige, sit fat, dumb
and happy til they come,
slipping shackles on
wrists, but keep playing,
paying us just enough
to keep us malnourished
filled with fast food
grease, so we can keep
playing, lost thoughts
revolutionary, de-evolution
get up, go to work, come
home, sit, get up, go to
work, come home, sit, keep
playing to fulfill your
sense of accomplishment
& experience adventure,
now get up, go to work,
unlimited life, you can't
die, lie, lie, lie...
keep playing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
64 comments:
i realise there may be a generational gap in the opening lines...that is the "cheat" code to get unlimited life in one of the early nintendo games called contra that came out when i was a kid...
ONE passion will keep you cheated, somewhat, I love what you write always Brian! and I knew I have a son...well he's 23 now but I remember it all lol
I love it. Reminds me of "Brave New World". Love it.
So- a nintendo game-? but it could have been dominoes- or jacks. Or hopscotch.
I like the flying airplanes we used to fold up our notes that way- AND then we grow up... well sorta...
a lot of kids are "shackled" to their ds games, ipods, x boxes, etc....sad, but true. you got it here! have a great saturday day too - finally feels like spring!
the flow and feel is terrific! I was caught up and mesmerized until the very end. nice work =)
Loved Contra!
Brian, funny that you would remember this code. Oh, and by the way, they still have cheat codes for the games. They are programmed in so that the game developers can do their thing and get to where they need to go. Unlimited life you say ...?
love how the lines blur...
this was great, Brian
Cheat codes rock! :)
So, this was a typical Brian Miller reading for me (and that's a good thing):
Smile,
laugh,
frown,
cry,
enlightenment.
Brilliant.
A whole new aspect of our culture!
it hasn't changed that much though, has it? Now we need to step away from our laptops! ha.
my mum loved video games....they give me headaches...lol
I'm particularly struck by "slipping shackles on wrists," suggesting how technology generally and video games in particular are their own kind of self-imprisonment, and a self-imposed hindrance to actually doing something with one's hands, to actually live life and adventure and not simply "play" at it. Great commentary as usual, Brian!
the third stanza, wow.
I'm listening to Faith No More's Everythings Ruined at the moment.
How fitting!
This is FANTASTIC Brian.
Thanks for sharing.
The powers that be must keep the peons busy ... otherwise they might think ... then they might revolt. So let's tell them this is the path to the American Dream ... oh, aren't we clever ...
I like the way you captured life, but don't like what I think it says about us!
Must admit - not because of a generational gap, I just never played nintendo. Deprived? No matter.
Your poem brings truth to light. Anesthetized by our chosen game, accomplishing little, deceiving ourselves while shackled in false freedom - we discover that life/time does end.
At least that's what your poem said to me.
My, (forget the game) how we are used and abused, and with our full knowledge - if we think about it at all... Pawns!
Ahhh, cheat codes, smiles! Love this post, as usual! Made me think a little. Get up, work, sleep, get up, work, sleep. Not much excitement in that! Think I'll change it up a little this week! : )
RUT, RUT, RUT and ROUTINE are the words that come to mind when I read this. I agree with sage....don't like what it says about us. We allow TV, games, work, laptops, phones to take away from being present in our lives and really experiencing this journey called life. Thank you, love, for helping me break my rut and find adventure again.
And now I'm thinking of the many ways we do keep playing just because the games are there to play and not because our lives are all the more fulfilled by their existence...
Brilliant stuff!
I'm so glad gaming has never quite caught on in our house!
Hi! Brian...
To me your words can apply to so many things...especially, with technology always inventing so many things to keep people..."get up, go to work, come, home, sit, get up, go to, work, come home, sit, keep playing to fulfill your sense of accomplishment
& experience adventure,
now get up, go to work..."
Thanks, for sharing!
DeeDee ;-D
Not familiar with this game but I can see the game becoming a part of our real or grown lives,
"get up, go to work, come
home, sit, get up, go to
work, come home, sit, keep
playing".
Ah, the futility of a life lived without hope. I cannot imagine how I would have the strength to get up to live the next day.
Great poem Brian.
I love "nintendo innuendo" I'm going to be thinking that all day long! Okay, I'm an old fuddy duddy. I always discouraged my kids from using the cheat codes. I thought they were missing so many fun sidelines and details of the games. I guess I feel the same way about life. :)
I never did play any of these games but can relate to this who "innuendo" on another level altogether. Knowing you, that is where you were going with it in the first place!
I am feeling old now - lol! I grew up with that Pong game and later maybe some Frogger or PacMan. And my kids grew up with Nintendo - but in small doses. They preferred playing outside to the video games. I guess they are so advanced now, it's like a virtual world and so easy to escape into. It's sad when the balance is out of whack and life revolves around a game console.
clever and well realized!
Warm Aloha to you
from Honolulu!
Comfort Spiral
><}}(°>
><}}(°>
oh, very nice!
"...sit fat, dumb and happy til they come," and "...filled with fast food grease, so we can keep playing, lost thoughts, revolutionary, de-evolution..."
my, my, my ... you could have easily called this one 'America' but I like your title better :) Bravissimo!
Thanks for explaining the cheat codes, Brian. We only just got a Wii:) But it's a good metaphor for what you talking about here. I get it.
ha - i would've use for some cheat codes..smiles
great write brian - i don't play nintendo but anyway - sounds very familiar..
we must keep playing our lives...we must, we have no choice. But we can choose the level we play in? and if we pauze or not. And if we go after every point or not
I'm ashamed to say, but I actually spent three straight hours, sitting in a chair, waiting for virtual crops to grow because i couldn't stand to see them go to waste! We are here to be as shaped and as molded, as violated and taken advantage of as we allow ourselves to be, and somedays I'm more open to it than others :) Once again your rollar coaster has delivered one heck of a ride, over, under, and on our sides, up and down, it's so much fun, spending time at waystation one. :) Sorry, you know what they say about payback...and I'm having an awesome weekend..Hope you are too. Another fantastic write!
Now I don't feel very old at all, I knew you were speaking of a nintendo game, we played it all the time in the early 80's...oops I just realized I am old.....Hugs
certainly encourages a lazy culture...who wants to think anymore?...and be challenged?
Maybe some of us played too many games and weren't observing or participating in real life enough.
When I first heard about cheat codes I went crazy telling my child that that was dishonest. Never realized it was part of the game. For me it just brings the inanity full circle.
That's just me though.
i was never any good at nintendo games, even with the cheat codes. :p
Good. I needed that explanation for a full sense of this; but, it was obviously carrying me through, day after day, the working life to buy just enough, earn just enough, pay off, make more debts. What a game, indeed.
Ah yes, we've got a stack of magazines called "Cheat Codes" lol. Takes all the fun out of discovering doesn't it?
Wonderful but depressingly true...
"Shackled" is a good word to describe the video game addition I see with the kids in my family. I yiyi. I never learned how to play :-(
Happy weekend, jj
We must be from the same generation -- I confess, I love the unlimited life cheat codes. Without them, I could not play video games long enough to find anything fun about them. Lucky for me, life is not like video games.
Good piece, Brian.
Wow, I wrote that and realized I didn't really explain well enough my thoughts: I chose to live a different life than the game you've described here. I've known this life but gave that up 12 years ago when I gave up working for corporations. I've never regretted it.
See? I always there were some good lessons in video games. "up down up down... live forever."
'Course, people look at you kind of funny.
BRIAN, you shouldn't have! A post about me:
get up, go to work, come
home, blog,
get up, go to
work, come home, blog,
keep blogging to fulfill your Ego!
But PEACE! Yeah...PEACE!
no, there's no cheat code for "real" life, is there...
I like the title! catchy.
Great write Brian, and so true. So many kids (and adults) get sucked into these video games until it's an addiction. I'm glad my Midgets didn't really get into them.
Mortal Kombat was just too benign without the cheat codes.
So this was about a game cheat code, I thought it was about cheating in class.;) I admit doing that on a few occasions.;)
I never played nintendo, I was more into the early computer games and always made sure i purchased the solution book along with the game.;))
Have alovely Sunday dear Brian,
xoxo
Cheat code. Love it. Blessings to you Brian.
I never did get into video games...so most of this "urge" is over my head! Ha! But I know my son and grandson were always looking for codes and ways to break the games "locks"!
Hugs
SueAnn
To use the cheat or do it on our own? That is the question.
I loved it. Nicely said.
life in a poem.
My kids were big on contra. It's funny to hear about it again.
=)
Too bad we can't get cheat codes in real life.
I'm getting to the point where I am not sure if I enjoy reading your writing more or T's comments. I love her view of life. Ok, I love yours too but I'm just saying....
very interesting:)
Post a Comment