Same Old Online

[irked_indeed]

I stopped to visit my old gaming store
The rain was falling August Twelfth.
They'd had to move somewhere on Cary Street
With the hobby's flagging health.
They didn't recognize my face at first,
And had to look me up by hand.
They didn't offer discounts anymore,
But they knew I'd understand.

I thought that we could talk off to one side;
I didn't think it would be hard.
But there were twenty screaming ten-year-olds
And they all had Magic cards.
We went to find ourselves a game or two;
The sets were fifty bucks apiece.
I said that that was just ridiculous,
And they blamed it on the lease.

We played a round of Warmachine,
We played Dominion, yes,
But everything on Amazon
Cost thirty percent less.

They said they'd cut a deal with Games Workshop;
Their revenue would not run dry.
They would have liked to say they sold their souls,
But their contract said to lie.
I said the years had been a friend to them
And that their dice still rolled as true.
But when they quoted me a price I said
I couldn't afford two.
They said they saw me on an MMO
And that I should play here as well.
I said the table space was heavenly,
But the markup price was hell.

We played a round of Warmachine,
We played Dominion, yes,
But everything on Amazon
Cost thirty percent less.
I tried to schedule an event,
They wrote it on a sign.
But everyone who came to it
Bought everything online...

The store was empty and our brains were tired
And running out of things to play.
They gave a card to me as I stepped out
And they watched me drive away.
Just for a moment I was twelve again -
And saw a game for which I'd pay -
But when I left and made my way back home
I bought it on... eBay.