Thursday, July 31, 2008

How to Have a Picnic

A good day for a picnic is Sunday.
Anyday is a good day.
You can have a picnic anywhere outside.
Parks are popular.

Hey you know what a picnic is don't you?
It is where you take some food outside.
Then you eat it.
That is a picnic.

Hot or cold.
Day or night.
Wet or dry.
You can have a picnic.

Ok let's start.
Carry a table outside.
Put it on the sidewalk.
Bring some chairs out.
Put a bowl of potato salad on the table.
Bring out a jar of sun tea.
A plate of pickles.

Here is where it gets tricky.
You need other people to come to the picnic.
I am sure that people have been watching you.
Looking out their windows and watching.
Driving by and watching.
Walking by and watching.

Most people like picnics.
But some people need an invitation.
They need to clear their schedules.
They need time to choose the right clothes to wear.
They need time to get some food.

Here is what you do.
Knock on a few doors.
Call a few people on the phone.
Tell them what is going on.
Free come as you are potluck picnic.
Right now on the side walk.

The Stevens sisters say they will be right along.
Marcella and Judith.
75 and 77 respectively.
Retired school teachers.
They bring out some cold fried chicken.

The Greek couple on the corner.
They don't want to come.
But 5 minutes later.
They bring out some spinach pies.
And a bottle of wine.

Jimmie and his son set up some card tables.
They also set up a grill and begin grilling hot dogs.

One half hour later we have one hundred people.
Eating, laughing and dancing.

The cops show up and decide to join the fun.

Pizza delivery guy drops a pizza off.

Somebody says there is another picnic on the next block.

Soon the 2 picnics are one.
Merge into one long table.

My friend calls me from the other side of town.
They have picnics going on there also.

The TV says picnics are breaking out all over.
There are many long tables.
From Main to Florida.
San Diego to Seattle.
Denver to Salt Lake.
Saint Paul to New Orleans.

Now there are reports coming from overseas.
We got a bunch of picnics in Asia
The West Bank to Istanbul.
More in Africa.
Europe too.
South America.
North America.
One big table from Patagonia to Nome.

Borders open up for the picnic.
Wars stop for the picnic.
Everybody sharing.

Picnics breaking out everywhere.
People enjoying each other.

And to think this picnic started with one table!
Could you bring out some more mustard for the hotdogs?

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I check in to your blog just every once in a while. I don't keep up with anyone's very often. But I always really enjoy your poetry. Thanks for sharing it.

8:43 PM, August 11, 2008  
Blogger Fred Garber said...

Thanks for stopping by! You are always welcome!

10:51 AM, August 12, 2008  

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