Gate of Yesterday

[Intro] Dust on the couch, a glow in the screenlight, I power up again The plastic sighs, I hear the old fan spin, time folds in [Verse 1] Old cartridges whisper from a dusty shelf, a hallway of rainbows and sound I press start and the pixels bloom, a familiar heartbeat and I’m found Tiny heroes march through a hallway of memories, simple quests, grand in scale I trade the grown-up maps for a kid’s map of courage, a brave, broken trail [Chorus] I’m standing at the gate of yesterday, with the future ringing in my ear The joystick tugs at my heart, as the years fall back, but the distance stays near Half-forgotten laughter fits in my palm, like a friend I can almost call Bittersweet light, in a tiny screen, I’m whole and I’m small [Verse 2] The save file glows with a warmth that time cannot erase I remember summers in a small town, a slower, slower pace But the screen flickers with echoes of friends I’ve drifted from, the world grew fast I blink and I’m back at the first high score, that tiny moment that lasts [Chorus] I’m standing at the gate of yesterday, with the future ringing in my ear The joystick tugs at my heart, as the years fall back, but the distance stays near Half-forgotten laughter fits in my palm, like a friend I can almost call Bittersweet light, in a tiny screen, I’m whole and I’m small [Bridge] Between the cartridge dust and the cloud, a whisper tries to say Time moves forward, but the old glow remembers the way [Chorus] I’m standing at the gate of yesterday, with the future ringing in my ear The joystick tugs at my heart, as the years fall back, but the distance stays near Half-forgotten laughter fits in my palm, like a friend I can almost call Bittersweet light, in a tiny screen, I’m whole and I’m small [Outro] So I cradle the moment, plug in the past, and let the present fade to blue A bridge between the ages drawn in neon, I press start anew