A Plastic Water Bottle

I lay in the tall grass despite being advised not to.

I don’t care about snakes or bugs.

I’ve found a sense of comfort in the slightest danger.

I sit up and look across the lake.

The first thing I notice is the absence of litter.

Not many people venture out this far, so it’s mostly untouched.

As much as this warms my heart, it also saddens me.

It saddens me that I feel delight from the absence of litter, 

because there shouldn’t be any litter in the first place.

I search through my thoughts for similar memories, but I can’t find any.

I don’t remember a single other place without litter.

I can't think of any other place that hasn't been ruined by human beings.

I look to my side at the large grouping of trees.

Trash…

Even a place as untouched as this has suffered.

A single plastic water bottle was intertwined between the vines.

As I go to leave, I take the bottle.

Hopefully, when I come back, more rubbish won’t have accumulated.