2016-02-22 - 9:01 a.m.

things to discard.

my three most favorite mugs shattered in quick succession. the one with a small ceramic cat on the rim tipped onto the kitchen countertop, breaking into more and smaller pieces than seemed remotely credible. after so many years, kitty is finally united with her object of desire - a painted fish skeleton on the opposite side.

the zakka forest mug had a little dish on top, where a biscuit could be warmed by hot coffee or steeping tea. cats knocked it off my desk, and because i had just waxed the floor, the dashed tea beaded up and looked quite beautiful with the shards and the sunlight. one could, perhaps, recreate it with resin and call it art.

one morning, the teacup printed with gouldian finches emerged from the dishwasher with a big crack. for a while, i used it with only cold drinks and washed it gently in tepid water, trying to prolong its useful life. eventually it began leaking drops with a tearful cadence. i used it to scoop birdseed until it broke, completely and irrevocably.

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