Hey, want to read a poem with me? Warning: It opens several disturbing doors, the least disturbing of which is the “crazy old coot” part, i.e., me. Once you start getting lost in the paradoxes of life, you need to watch out. They could start coming after you.

But more disturbing is the paradox itself, which is both environmental and spiritual. And it’s right there on my front lawn. The life I’ve been given—the lives we’ve been given—are partially disposable, apparently. Mostly I took this for granted, but suddenly one summer afternoon, as I was pushing my hand mower up and down the lawn, something shifted in me. I started feeling... reverence for garbage? Tossing out the trash is something you’re just supposed to do, no questions asked, at least if you want to live a normal, respected life. Doubting this could be a tad problematic.

The poem is called “Buddha’s Lawn.” I wrote it a decade ago. Back when I still had a lawn to mow.

I mow the lawn and feel gratitudemy neighborshaven’t pigeonholed me as a crazy old coot.I’m stalled in my transitionfrom a lifestyle and sense of order based onkilling things,like weeds, mice, whatever,to one based on reverence for all stuff,however weird.It’s a cool day butI work up a sweat.On the lawn, I pick up a shredof burst red balloon, a used napkin,a transparent plastic juice container.This stuff is all just litterand the weeds are still weeds.If I really let myselfsee them differently,I’d be the crazy neighbor, right?

Well, sorry (I apologize to myself.) I can’t help it. Once the door opens and a ray of awareness shines in, burst balloons, tossed straws, plastic grocery bags, discarded pop bottles, etc., etc., aren’t what they used to be. There’s an inner awareness that won’t go away. You might call it “litteracy”—an awareness of what happens next.

For instance, according to the Center for Biological Diversity: “In the first decade of this century, we made more plastic than all the plastic in history up to the year 2000. And every year, billions of pounds of more plastic end up in the world’s oceans. Studies estimate there are now 15-51 trillion pieces of plastic in the world’s oceans—from the equator........

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