MYLES Taylor
Mega Man X Collection
(Meditations on Sunday Morning Gaming Sessions)
Mega Man runs into my room,
has something to tell me.
It comes out in the right
language, but with a slight
glitch in the message, just off--
I thumb the arrow between
yes and no, try to find a
scroll option, but no other
responses appear.
Mega Man blips, shoots
small blue disks into me
when I do not respond
fast enough-- I burst
into balls of light-- he
passes through me, toward
the next level.
My brother could easily be
a video game protagonist,
human with some slight
variation, doctors throwing
diagnoses like Shadow Man
threw shuriken, as if
this could never be
blessing, be superpower,
this ability to hyperfocus,
only move in one 2D
direction, fight through life
until each boss is downed,
to only have one pace,
slow down for no one,
pass obstacles until they
shift off-screen.
I am trying to be Roll,
his blond sister sidekick--
only there to lend a boost
when one is needed.
I am trying to install
Rush’s springs in my back.
Every time I think the process
is finished, they pop out
at the wrong angles,
dent his armor by mistake.
Sometimes, I look up and find
that I am the villain guarding the door.
I am desperately thumbing through
my options. But I’m no one he hasn’t
fought before. Every day is a new
robot, new boss battle. Every day is
just trying to make it to the other
side. He twists his cannon arm
back on and charges towards me,
ready for the level to start
all over again.
(Meditations on Sunday Morning Gaming Sessions)
Mega Man runs into my room,
has something to tell me.
It comes out in the right
language, but with a slight
glitch in the message, just off--
I thumb the arrow between
yes and no, try to find a
scroll option, but no other
responses appear.
Mega Man blips, shoots
small blue disks into me
when I do not respond
fast enough-- I burst
into balls of light-- he
passes through me, toward
the next level.
My brother could easily be
a video game protagonist,
human with some slight
variation, doctors throwing
diagnoses like Shadow Man
threw shuriken, as if
this could never be
blessing, be superpower,
this ability to hyperfocus,
only move in one 2D
direction, fight through life
until each boss is downed,
to only have one pace,
slow down for no one,
pass obstacles until they
shift off-screen.
I am trying to be Roll,
his blond sister sidekick--
only there to lend a boost
when one is needed.
I am trying to install
Rush’s springs in my back.
Every time I think the process
is finished, they pop out
at the wrong angles,
dent his armor by mistake.
Sometimes, I look up and find
that I am the villain guarding the door.
I am desperately thumbing through
my options. But I’m no one he hasn’t
fought before. Every day is a new
robot, new boss battle. Every day is
just trying to make it to the other
side. He twists his cannon arm
back on and charges towards me,
ready for the level to start
all over again.
Myles Taylor is a Writing, Literature & Publishing major at Emerson College. They are Editor-in-Chief of the newly minted Corridors Magazine and they were a member of Emerson's 2016 CUPSI team. They have probably Facebook-stalked you by now, so you might as well friend them here.