Saloon Bar Super Heroes
A tribute to the devotees of Space Invaders
It’s not just imagination
that minds throughout the nation,
have been subtly invaded
by machines, which have persuaded,
even reasonable men,
that a few pounds worth of pleasure
can provide the kind of leisure,
which presents them with a challenge
to their skill.
This second generation of micro-chip-elation
are seducing fools,
producing rules
of inane concentration and total fascination;
reducing all who pay and play
to sad saloon bar star-ship captains
whose Pyrrhic scores in phoney wars
cause insane wins to light up grins,
revealing joys in tempting toys
of futile fights.
Every night they dice with fate
and sublimate the will to hate
in raucous celebration of their own annihilation
by bouncing beams which in my dreams
engender screams for silence.
If any aliens are waiting,
and at this moment contemplating,
an attack upon the denizens of earth;
then I think it’s worth their noting
that the games we are promoting,
were not worth a trip of light years to observe.
©James Rainsford 2011
Note to readers: Posted in response to dVerse Poets invite to share a poem about comic heroes. I think this may fit the bill. Your comments are most welcome. Please click on the comments tab below to record your views.
Kind regards to all at dVerse Poets.
its new wave isolation, mechanical escapism
ReplyDeletefilled with kill or be killed thrills
for quartered dollar bills
trading surreal for real, but in the end
ya still gotta go home...
smiles... your last stanza sums it up beautifully...many an alien would probably wonder what kind of weird games we earth-lings play.. smiles.. great write james
ReplyDeleteDelicious! It sings.
ReplyDeleteInane games, seduced by tech games...we are all heading there. The aliens can take us anytime, our minds are brain washed ~
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend James ~
Lots of clever, sharp rhyme here. And kudos on the content too.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh when I saw your graphic. Some games are mindless. Some build minds. The latter are the minority, but I'm doing my best to change that :)
ReplyDeleteGreetings to you, James. I do think yours fills the bill indeed. A fascinating-other-worldly read!
ReplyDeleteYou've got me laughing with this one, James. Lots of clever use of interior rhyme, and your last stanza was just hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThis is just marvelous! That last stanza definitely had me laughing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the rhymes and the content. Thank you James.
ReplyDeletehaha...absolutely true! The computer games can suck a person in...my best friend's son was at my house this weekend, and he played computer games for 5 hours straight...and it was a beautiful day outside today, but I could not get him to take advantage of it!
ReplyDeleteThis second generation of micro-chip-elation
ReplyDeleteare seducing fools,
producing rules
of inane concentration and total fascination
That just rolls of the tongue!... and yes, the aliens would probably be disappointed ha!
I posted too late to link, but if you like adult comics, you might like mine this week:
A Fable Twist
Love the rythm of the poem.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's so true. Humans, in all their glory, are often not so glorious afterall.
Excellent. You've certainly set the stage.
ReplyDelete