As he stand’s and grills the burger,
wearing his black Tailgators shirt and his black apron,
flames roar.
The dishwasher silences and as he grills,
the round chunk of meat blackens and matures.

He gathers the bun, pepper jack cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms.
The burger sizzles and blackens.
He tops the burger with southwest ranch.
He gets the plate and carefully places the burger down.
He sprinkles the fries around the burger.

At last, it’s ready.
The bell rings, letting her know the food is ready.
The waitress grabs the burger.
Meaningless shouts and billiard’s noise comes
from beyond the kitchen doors.

She battles her way through the crowded bar.
The patient customer’s taste buds tingle.
At last,
he gets what he craves:
Tailgators’ Southwest Burger.