Cushion Me
By Gabrielle Congrave
The longer I am pregnant, the more naked I become.
All my life, I have been a jeans girl. Low rise, bell-bottomed, vintage finds. The endless racks of Ragstock, Savers. I like them tight. “Ass pants” T. and I call them. Designed to show off the hours I have spent moving from Down Dog to Low Lunge, High Lunge, Warrior II.
The longer I am pregnant, the more naked I become.
All my life I’ve been a shoe girl. Platforms, fur boots, psychobilly heels. “Zombie Stompers” and pistol-print Mary Janes.
The longer I am pregnant, the more naked I become.
I start wearing harem pants, blousy tank tops, Vibram toe shoes that turn my feet to Hobbit feet. My online purchases shift from pin-up style dresses and “Cunt Dracula” boy shorts to wide-leg yoga pants and loose-fit pullovers. My belly begins to round and swell outward, my breasts spill out of my bras, strain against t-shirts.
I roam the virtual aisles almost mindlessly each night, looking for the perfect shell to cushion this egg that my body has become.
The Scent
By Sunny Nyaronge
It doesn’t really matter what I wear; the color of my t-shirt is nothing more than an extension of the mood I am in and the dye of my insecurities. But the essence of my disposition is quilted to the scent I wrap myself in. This coverlet gives me confidence like an infectious, poisonous cloud.
Forever Sunshine body mist underneath a hint of Linari Acqua Santa by Maurice Roucel. It’s holy water, like an ocean wave washing around an overheated, sun-bathed rock, reminding the rock of how effervescent and pure the tingling scent of a sun-kissed buttercup can be.
Twisted Peppermint by Bath & Body Works swirling underneath Lemon by C.O. Bigelow. This recipe holds together childish school memories with the prospect of making new friends. No matter how stressful a day is, the mint from the peppermint pierces through the clean aroma of lemons.
More Twisted Peppermint fused with Kenzo Power for that elusive excitement of meeting a new love. Even though it was not meant to be—nothing worth while ever is—the light scent of roses and musk always hold a hope of what could be.
For you see, grooming is key.
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