The sheer joy of turning on that console

The nostalgia that comes from pressing Z on

the GameCube and hearing the catchy tune or

the upload screen on the PS1

These are the sounds of a childhood

The escapists we live in experiencing new ventures

And living in alternate lives

The joy of turning on that gameboy and hearing

The sweet sounds of Pokémon

These are the joys I feel

I remember days searching for batteries

And stealing them from mom’s remote to put in my gameboy or Xbox controller

I remember early morning family smash tournaments that brought siblings together and crushed friendships

I remember bonding with my mother over blowing zombie heads up.

Video games. The reality stealing joy that brought me to brighter days

Happy national video game day