The Cotney Country Store

The Cotney Country Store By Franklin Price 07/24/2020 A mile north on Merritt Island Maybe less or maybe more A local landmark, I recall, Was a little Country Store Mister Cotney built it Was no carpenter for sure Brought a service to the area Helped the poor folks to endure The economy was citrus People lived from day to day Cotney extended credit When there were no bucks to pay He kept a written ledger A tab for every needy name Living one day to another Was how many played the game Those who had so little Mostly honest way back then When pay day came, the tab was paid Making Cotney whole again The store provided products Mostly basics, yet some cheer Candy bars and cold drinks Along with cigarettes and beer As kids we went there often Returning bottles we had found People threw them from their cars We found them on the ground Were worth a couple cents a piece Cotney paid us every time We purchased candy for a penny And a drink was but a dime Those days have long been gone No drink deposits any more Convenience stores have taken over There's no Cotney Country Store.