‘Bottle Top Eddie from Bantry’
© Joe Canning 2017. All Rights Reserved.

A living treasure that’s my dad,
Father, granddad, lovely man.
Early mornings down the bay,
When the tide has crept away.

Refuse bags in either hand
Clearing plastic from the land.
Bags of black and bags of green
Collecting tops for folk in need.

Little bag for plastic tops,
Takes them to the hospice shop
Empty bottles bagged in green
Leaves the shoreline clear and clean.

“Save for me your plastic tops”
Sickly babies need them lots
Old folk, young folk, needing cures
I’m doing my bit; you do yours”?

“Think about your bottled Coke
When you refresh your thirsty throat.
Pepsi bottles thrown away
Remissions lost in landfill clay.”

Bin the bottles, save the tops,
Your pockets surely will hold lots
Be like Eddie, save those tops,
They need them in our Hospice shops.

So when you see him down the bay,
Bid to him the time of day,
Don’t waste the stopper that you bought,
Folk like Eddie needs them … Lots.