The canal knows what to do with feathers, fallen leaves and broken reeds. They belong to its rhythms of growth, death and return.

A plastic bottle is different.

It remains because someone decided, perhaps without much thought at all, that this particular place could carry what they no longer wanted.

Care for creation is sometimes spoken about in enormous terms: climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, stewardship. But sometimes it is much smaller than that.

Sometimes it is simply refusing to leave behind what does not belong.

The ducks still come. The reeds still grow. Clouds still make their reflection upon the water.

Perhaps gratitude for such beauty begins with deciding not to spoil it.