
At five, my dreams are isometric. In my hands,
maps stitch across glossy pages and I memorize
each of their worlds. Each month, a new issue:
Now You’re Playing With Power! reads the slogan,
and I am dazzled. 1989 is a year of pixels
and chiptunes and hastily-plugged aux cords,
a TV set to channel three, footie pajamas
and an extra hour granted before bedtime.
It is a year of new magic, confidence
in being the hero, the last guy always defeated.
It is the first addiction, the first time
I use cheat codes. The last time I am happy.
L.M. Camiolo is a writer, editor, and horror lover from Philadelphia. You can find her on Twitter @guzzlinseltzer.