Pop Top

Pop, another top peals away,

from an aluminum cradle,

"every ingredient used.....",

"the very finest obtainable",

"and every drop the same",

pity those whose fate is,

to end on the bottom,

dregs.

Pop, another top peals away,

the only part of the can that,

cannot be recycled,

taken for granted by everyone,

and dropped in the waste receptacle,

pity those whose fate it is,

to end up on the top.

Pop, Top.

© 1977 Carl Erickson

Backstory: Once upon a time cans were made with pull off tabs, most people threw these away, although some made chains out of them and used then as door hangings and such. For some reason (probably because I was drinking quite a bit) the beer can was interesting as found poetry.