All poured out
Imagine a grey-brown earthenware jar. It sits on an old wooden table, in a farmhouse. Outside, there’s a gentle breeze, and a rugged stone well sits next to a potato patch. The jar looks like it was well made, but also well used. Look closer, and you see patches on the sides, the rim, and even the base. Be quiet and listen. There’s a drip. Then another. Look even closer. Water is slowly pooling on the table, around the base of the jar. Pick up the jar and inspect it. Careful, it’s heavy! Almost full of water, almost to the brim. Lift the jar over your head, peer at the bottom, and you see it. There’s a spiderweb of tiny cracks, and water’s slowly seeping out. Put the jar back down. Hmm. You don’t see how the jar can be repaired. The base has been patched too many times, and the cracks are everywhere. Wait a little longer. Look into the jar. Sigh. Looks like it’s really leaking now. Half the water’s gone, and it’s pooling on the floor. ...