Christmas Eve with the McDonald’s,
I know you still remember.
The three “big boys” would get different toys
Than the young ‘uns,
But we all got those stockings
filled with candy, apples, and oranges.
The rotation of location from sibling to sibling.
That one at my parents’ house
And that bottle of Maker’s Mark
We decided to break out.
You with your pulls straight from the bottle
The stiff drink I poured myself,
And who got caught?
I remember junior, senior year
And going to check out you and Cody
At that BYOB club with a hundred other minors
Getting shithoused on cheap beer and Smirnoff Ice.
And then there were those “set breaks” you would take
With me in the parking lot
Where you gave me the word “nug”
And reminded me why I fell in love with Mary Jane in the first place.
How about that New Year’s Eve
I spent with you and Cody and our individual bottles of bourbon.
I thought I was gonna have to break mine
Over some poor bastard’s head
If you didn’t shut your mouth
Or he decided to step out of line.

And then there was that Monday night
That keeps playing in my mind
And a phone call at work from my old man
Telling me, “I have some bad news.”
I would have never figured it to be about you,
But then again, I have been surprised before.
It still hadn’t sunk in when I got to the car,
So I sent one to you through Susan
On my way to the bar.
Because Monday night means karaoke
And speaking my mind through the words of others
So I got myself a Maker’s Mark,
Sat down with the book,
Did “Badfish” like never before,
But despite the fact that I will never get to see
You smiling behind those bongos
“I ain’t got no quarrels with god
Ain’t got no time to grow old,
Lord knows I’m weak.”
One day we’ll get off of this reef.