Teapot

Here's a photo of the lovely and funky beehive teapot I got from Meighan for Christmas. There are so many things about it that I treasure; here are a few of them:

• Its design makes me smile, obviously
• It reminds me of Meighan every time I use it
• It pours perfectly, without spilling a drop, a surprisingly rare quality in teapots
• The sturdy and practical metal tea infuser from Michael Watkins fits it exactly
• It's not brand new; in fact, the patina of tea on the inside, as well as the craquelure that covers the sides and bottom speak of decades of workaday use by tea-drinkers who will be forever unknown to me
• That fine network of cracks, as well as the larger crack lines lend it a fragile quality that endears it to me all the more. Every time I reach to lift it down from the cupboard the thought passes through my mind that it could shatter, and that this just might be the last time that I (or anyone) get to use it

If it ever does break, it will surely end up in the garden. Maybe then an actual bee might land on it or even call it home.