Gaming Mother: An Epic Poem
By spl33nb0y

Mother, mother, up late each night,
Your skills are l33t, your casseroles delight,
You frag the masses, like dust on the floor,
Your passion as great, as your Gamerscore.

Remember when, out of the blue,
You suggested to me, we play Halo 2,
And so we fragged, the Covenant ran,
From the split-screen'd fire, into the frying pan.

We go toe-to-toe on Fight Night Round Three,
But you wouldn't tell my friends, you know it'd bother me,
For them to know that you've won ten-for-ten,
And for this I am grateful, my mother, my friend.

And Gun™, what fun! To live in the West,
Other mothers may be good, but 'tis mine is the best,
And on Burnout Revenge™, I'm left eating dust,
As precise with your takedowns, as my PBJ with no crust.

Like the good ol' days, when I'd scrape my knee,
You swore on your score, you'll always look after me,
My back you've got, since the day I was born,
And on Xbox LIVE, my enemies you'll scorn.

But you are not a simple unskilled rube,
You've played since Tetris, and school'd the newbs,
And once on my birthday, much to my delight,
A Ninja Turtle cake lay, beneath the candle light.

Not long ago, I bought Gears of War®,
The violence, I thought, you'd certainly deplore,
But play, you did, and you played for the goal,
Of sending the Locusts back in their hole.

And on Ultimate Alliance, we'd formed a great team,
Making enemies cower, showing them its business we mean.
Our agency skill on Crackdown™ spells doom,
Though pales in comparison when you say, "Clean your room!"

Mother, mother, tell me why,
Your skills they cook, like apple pie,
And when your friends all question you,
You coyly tell them to S.T.F.U.*

And so, dear mother, for your day well earned,
I write out this poem, for the things I have learned,
Not only in life, but in gaming too,
Now back to the co-op mode in GRAW 2.

*Author's note: S.T.F.U. – Shut the Frag Up

My Mom's a Gamer
By Chickenwang003

My Mom is such an avid gamer, that when my two-year-old son sees a picture of her, he points at it and says, "Halo Grandma!" All the kids flock to her because she plays video games. I think the reason she plays games, though, is because she has missed a part of her childhood. Also, because she has gone through a lot of hard times and playing games helped her get through them. She had four kids by the time she was twenty-one, got Hodgkin's disease (cancer) with a broken foot at the age of twenty-eight, had a messy divorce after twenty years of marriage, and much more. She has inspired many people because no matter what comes her way, she will never let anything drag her down. So, I believe, if anyone deserves flowers, it would be my Mom.

My Mom, MacGrandma PMS, is SO happy when she plays her games. She helps people get started, teaches people how to play, and while online, she also promotes positive playing like a Mom or a grandma would. She started out playing games, back in 1979, at the same time teaching her own children how to play, as well. My Mom was an Army wife, and her and other Army wives would play games to pass the time when their husbands were out at war or in the fields. That was the beginning. She now is very competitive, playing games on the Xbox 360 like Halo 2 (practicing 6-8 hours a day), Crackdown, Gears of War, and many more. She is anxiously waiting for the Halo 3 beta and game to come out, which she talks about all the time. My Gamer Mom is a co-leader for the PMS Charlie clan, a member of GamerchiX, is on most gaming Web sites, and has traveled all over the United States to support her clan at conventions, expos, and tournaments. She has introduced games to all of her grandchildren by buying systems, games, memberships, and playing online with them. My Mom told me we should take my two-year-old son to tournaments to show them how he plays. Now, if one of my children become a top gamer, I will owe it all to her.

So to give her a gift as beautiful as she is, I can't think of anything more perfect for Mother's Day than something from Mother Nature itself, an exquisite bouquet of flowers. Though I live on the other side of the country from her, it would be just like showing up at the door, ringing the bell, and being there on her special day, as she has always been there for us.

I LOVE YOU MOM!