Our daughter, Niamh,
has arranged to go litter-picking
and I go along with her
to lend a helping hand.
We grab litter-pickers, gloves
and rubbish bags
before dandering off
to the big roundabout
near our home.

The sun shines down on us
and it feels like summer!

Then, the work begins.
Red Bull tins and Coke tins,
chocolate wrappers and crisp bags,
coffee cups and McDonalds’ bags,
cigarette butts and disposable vapes
and plastic bottles
in all shapes and sizes!

Dry rubbish and sodden rubbish,
mucky rubbish and shiny rubbish,
all gathered and bagged
as cars pass constantly
and motorway traffic thunders
overhead.

All of this bending and bagging
is hard work
and reminds me
of one of my Daddy’s favourite sayings –
“hard work’s not easy
and easy work’s hard to find!”
(How right he is!)

And yet, there is time for laughter
as jokes and smiles are shared
and as tiny surprises are spotted –
a ladybird, basking in the sun
and a butterfly flitting about
among the shrubs.

Finally,
bags and bags of rubbish
to lug home
as we leave the roundabout behind –
clean now
(for how long, we wonder?)

Thank You, Lord,
for sunshine and smiles
laughter and ladybirds
as I litter-picked with Niamh.
Whoever would have thought
that litter-picking
could be such fun?

© Claire Murray, 19th April 2023