After seeing the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and the 15th century Basilica of Saint Peter my friend & I sat down to just be with the space of the Piazza. The litter from yesterday was gone. As I set my sights on de-littering an area on the west side by the columns which seemed relatively litter-free, as photographed here. However, upon closer inspection I could see cigarette butts and other small items that “fell between the cracks.”
A few people commented and some thanked me for what I was doing. One guy said, as I collected a bag within his arm’s reach, “It’s not mine.” Yes, I can understand why someone would not want to be associated with leaving litter. And yes, he also chose not to do anything about it either.
This second photo was what I was able to collect in less than a half hour. For the cigarette butts, I noted “new to me” colors and brand names that were written in several other languages.
From this collection, I set aside a few pieces I’ll bring back to the states for inclusion in some new artwork. Today, my favorite piece was something that probably was an “accidental” litter — a metal button. It too was retrieved from between the cracks, and since it was metal, it was hard to tell how long it may have been there, near buildings that dated back to BC. How might the story of litter change over the next few centuries? Contemplate that.
