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After we buried all the large bills in her sweater bin under the bed, we put the twenties, tens and fives in her teapot collection. Annie didn’t want the money in her favorite one. It’s a teapot made to look like a lemon that we bought in Italy that time. While we were still getting along. The one that has a small ceramic lemon and green ceramic leaves sticking out of its lid. The one she uses for iced tea. That she used to use for ice tea. Before I cheated. When she still trusted me. When she trusted the water was safe for drinking. When she trusted the lemon peel was OK unpeeled in the pot. When she lifted the stove kettle without a pot holder. When she thought she was lovely. All that. |
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Tea Pot by Susan Tepper
Filed under Susan Tepper
52|250 A Year of Flash 
This really left me breathless and glad my “tea kettles” are all stainless steel.
Randal, thank you! Promise not to clunk you with a teapot! Ha!
I love the skill in pacing here, Susan. The action and explanation coming down to staccato stabs.Nice.
Susan G, I appreciate your close read and comments!
Wow, love how you wrapped up an entire relationship in an object. That is skill. Great stuff. Peace…
Linda, in the end, doesn’t it all “boil down” to tea pots, once you reach divorce court. His tea pot, her tea pot…
thanks so much!
I too love the pacing and rhythm of this piece, reads like it is breathing. I also love the slow unraveling of demise of the narrator’s friend, the small revelations. And I concur with Linda’s comment: using the object of the tea pot as a symbol for the relationship. This is skill at work. Loved it.
Michael thank you for sensing the breathing in this piece, yes, it’s there for sure and thank you for your other wonderful comments.
this is fantastic. you’re so good.
Wow, Len, you are too! And thanks!
You got my curiosity up–everything went to pot after the cheating!
(I mean everything went to pot for the character after the cheating! ha! Your story is great!!)
I love this piece. I can almost see the shape of the teapot in the text! Thank you!
ditto on all the above – so subtle, a world of complexity precariously anchored by a single object, very nice!
“I’m a little teapot, short and stout…” hehehe…fantastic as always. I’m a huge fan.
Love the idea. You whetted my appetite and I want more! really enjoyed it.
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