The Cookout

By Billy Johnson

The day that I've waited for is finally here.

Got my coolest clothes on, and I'm on the way out.

There will be lots to eat and plenty of beer.

It's the family cookout. That's what this is about.

Everyone will be late, but that's okay.

Cause the grill will be hot with smoke in the air.

There will be lots of kids that want to play.

And lots of men and women with braided hair.

The sun is shining,it's a beautiful day.

I can't wait to arrive and have some fun.

There'll be lots of relatives with something  to say.

And all will think that they're the top gun.

There's cousin Larry, who likes to tell jokes.

Boy, does he have some stories to tell.

But in all of his stories, there's a whole you can poke.

Because he'll always claim that he caught a whale.

There's Uncle John with lots of degrees.

He'll corner you and discuss existentialism.

You realize that you're no longer at ease.

You've now entered the cookouts maximum prison.

There's Aunt Amy, who always talks nonstop.

She has calluses from patting herself on the back.

Whatever you've done, she's able to top.

If you shot a deer, then she shot a Yak.

There's begging Brian, who's always broke.

He loves to party, and he loves to drink.

He'll ask for anything, including your cloak. 

Why he might even ask for the kitchen sink.

So, back to the food, there's always ribs.

There's burgers, hotdogs ,and sometimes steak, too.

And there's always someone that wants first dibbs.

But the food ensures that our love is true.

When the cookout is over, we say our goodbyes.

We all take plates home because that's what we do.

There is plenty of love that no one denies.

I can't wait till the next one. You know that's true.

By Billy Johnson