Carpal tunnel twinges
punctuate a torpid afternoon,
as row on row we line the aisles
and stare at nothing
with the guarded anonymity
of urinating men.
My thumb is on the lever,
moving almost imperceptibly,
as marbles rocket into space
and filter down
through obstacles designed
to keep the management in business.
The captive of a chain reaction
freed from craving by acceptance
of the preordained,
I decompose, am compromised,
incorporated by the convolutions
of this artificial universe.
But something breaks
the moment I let go.
The single thread
that holds the world in place is cut,
and once again I fall away
with all my individual needs exposed.
Japan, 1968
Previous version published in Outposts, England
"Pinball Wizard"
strange sounds hypnotize from an ARCADE
challenging me to a dual escapade
silver balls wait in line
for fingers to opine
female transforms to pinball wizard on parade.
STAR TREK is my machine of choice
listening to CAPTAIN KIRK'S commanding voice
ENTERPRISE flies at warp speed
as numbers calculate point feed
as a TREKKIE I win a la Royce.*
MORTAL COMBAT is a game of great skill
super bonus points mount as empty holes fill
deadly fatalities
video catastrophies
in the end my name is on top of the hill.
STREET FIGHTER is quick, sharp and rough
knocking down opponents is so tough
when the flipper sinks the ball in
the bad dude shouts "a vul kin"*
aggravated, I cry out "had enough".
time to hang up my "wizard fingers" for another day
flashing lights show my name on display
leaving fantasy behind
know I'm "one of a kind"
pinball prima donna loves to play.
*Royce -haracter from older series
*A Vul Kin - foreign language meaning you're dead
*For Yasmin Khan's Video Games Contedt ..
*Sept. 24,2012.
Sssttttuhhp....clunk.
Plink..plinkplink...flip, boink, dink, plink.
Donk, donkdonk, plink, doink, dink.
Flipflap..dink, plinkplink, doink.
Doink, doinkdoink, whirrrrrr, buzzzzzzzz dink.
"Oh darn".
Sssttttuhhp....clunk.
Plink, doinkbink, flipflap, bink.
Twirrrrrrrrtwirrrrrrrr, twirrrrrrr boink.
flipflap.....clunk
"Oh....Man"!
Sssttttuhhp....clunk.
Plinkplinkboinkdoink...flip...bonk shhhupduuuup.
dink, doink, boink, shuuuup.
plink, ploinkploink, dink doink.
booooouuuuupboooooouuuup...boink
flipflap...clunk
"Shoot"!
Sssttttuhhp....clunk.
plinkplinkplinkplink, doink flipflap, bonk, boink, twirrrrrr.
doink, boink, bonk, wuuuuuup, twirrrrrr, puurrrrrrrr.
plink, ploink, doinkdoink, purrrrrrrr, shuuuuupshuuuup
plinkplinkplink, doink, flip, doink, flip, trrrruuuuurrrrp.
"YES"! (shakes machine)
TILT! TILT! TILT!
"NOooooooooo"!
The Pinball wizard is dead
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Was shot dead by a stranger
It was such a senseless murder