It may be the wee hours of Monday, but it’s never to late to answer ABC Wednesday‘s prompt for poems using the letter “Y.” This goes out especially to my high school buddy and still great friend Michael Weil, who visited from Potsdam, NY (think colder than Madison!) with super wife (and also old friend) Amy Jo and verrrrry cool son Alex today, along with new friends Paul and his partner Dean. Mike and I reminisced about the ever-abundant supply of Yuengling beer at our house, and how he just “converted” to their Black and Tan variety. I had actually written this “snowball” poem days ago, but now I HAVE to post it, right? Safe travels, you “Weil things!” Amer
Also at the poetic collective, Poets United.
YUENGLING
Sun,
summer,
cold Yuengling.
Man, our basement
fridge was full of it.
Easy access for teens
to grab a brew, hit the pool,
and bask in alcoholic bliss.
Mom never kept inventory, so
we drank, swam, laughed, and tanned all summer long.
© 2011 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
Debbie
Yes, you do have to . . .and I’m so glad you did! You write and have company too? You are a much better woman and writer than I! 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
The company was just for the afternoon; then they went to stay at Paul and Dean’s house. As far as being a better woman and writer? Hm… methinks thou art too humble!! Amy
MiskMask
I’m way behind also. Shamefully so, and I seem to have lost my mental pencil.
I’m not a big drinker, but there have been occasions when an icy 1/2 pint of lager is hard to beat on a hot day. I must try your snowball form; I love it. It might be just the ticket for my mental pencil.
Sharp Little Pencil
Marilyn, it’s a lot of fun. Got the form from Viv and also Joseph Harker, but Viv called it something else…
I was on a pontoon boat with friends tonight (lots of folks in our congregation have beau coup resources!), knocking back an ice cold local beer. There are microbreweries here in Wisconsin, plus larger concerns like New Glarus. My aim in that, when I choose to drink, I only buy local! Lex feels the same way.
Hope you find your mental pencil! Amy
Roger Green
The funny thing about growing up is that I never drank, not once, before it was legal for me to do so (which was 18 at the time). Not that my friends didn’t indulge (and in other substances too), and while I was present, no less. I used to say I was ‘high on life’; I was such a ‘goody two-shoes’.
Sharp Little Pencil
My husband would agree with you, Roger. He did his share of drinking in his 20s, but only beer… I was in a different crowd. The artistic, daring crowd! And one of those artists, Mike, was the reason I posted it, because he grew up with me and went to Vestal High as well!
booguloo
Sounds like great times now and then.
Sharp Little Pencil
Oh, baby, the greatest. Both. I think I like now better, because it includes that past!
Sherry Blue Sky
Ha, fun summer memories, Amy!
Sharp Little Pencil
I knew you would like this one. As my daughter would say, “Ahhh, good times, good times…”
Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio
I’ve never heard of that beer brand! not that I am a beer aficionado, but what the heck! I feel like I should at least recognize the name! A fond summer memory for sure, fueled by brewskis!
Sharp Little Pencil
It’s an old Upstate New York brand, quite light, like a lager, I think. All I know is, it was practically mother’s milk to me! And when my buddy Mike mentioned he had finally become a Yuengling fan, I was cracking up, because he had full access during all of high school! Thanks, Paula! Amy
mindlovemisery
This is very charming! I honestly never needed to drink to act drunk, I can act like a crazy person with or without any help 😛
Sharp Little Pencil
When I used to play piano bar and folks wanted to buy me a “real drink, not that sparkling water crap,” I’d tell them, “Hey, you’re just drinking to get to where I already am!” Kindred spirits!! Amy
Old Raven
Amy, I cannot express just how much I enjoyed your interview … probably because although ages apart (I think) and I am literally tone deaf, we have significant things in common! Also, love your words!
Sharp Little Pencil
So glad you liked it – as I told one friend, Sherry knows me better than some poets, so she was literally throwing me grapefruits over home plate, easy questions to answer and on which to expound.
I don’t think there is that much age difference – I’m 54! Gonna pop by and see your work now. Peace, Amy
anl4
Sounds like fun, old friends and fond memories!
Sharp Little Pencil
All that and more! Thanks, Annell. Peace, Amy
christine
Drinking just puts me to sleep, but I have to admit, a few of my posts were done under the influence.
Sharp Little Pencil
I’m sure you are hardly alone in this category! Some of the great poets of all time were half in the bag when they wrote, including Poe, Ginsberg, Bukowski, and I’m betting Shakespeare!
uponthewingsofnight
This poem reminds me of some of the good times I had with my friend Al hanging out in my dorm room drinking Schaefer’s and cranking out the loud music. At the end of the night, though, it was always Pink Floyd on the stereo.