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Body Issue. 3
A typographic zine about the body, the mind and their differences.
Articles:
Embarrassing Bodily Functions That Are Actually Signs of Good Health, Minq︎︎︎
The Proper Names of 17 Bodily Functions, Paul Anthony Jones︎︎︎
Blue Hills And Chalk Bones, Sinead Gleeson︎︎︎
In and out, in and out
pump, pump, pump
empty then full, then empty again
in and out, in and out
pump, pump, pump
open then close, then open again
in and out, in and out
pump, pump, pump
Body Talk:
You get in the shower and the water hits. Hot, too hot, so hot I turn pink all over. You scrub me vigorously, washing away the careful layer of oil that I built to protect you. You run a razor over me. I don’t like that. I become red and itchy to tell you this. I send you signals of skin, but you often ignore them. I’m trying to talk to you. You stop the water and now I am cold, too cold. I raise the hair on your arms to tell you this. More rubbing as you attack me with a towel. You take a cold lotion and spread it over my freshly stripped skin. It’s suffocating but I greedily eat at the moisture, grateful for this small reciprocation of love. Back in the bedroom you begin to smother me. The bra straps squeeze me, the underwear chokes me, the jeans cut into my soft organs and the top is ever so slightly itchy. Powerful deodorant and perfume overwhelms the lovely smells that I make. It’s as if you don’t even want me to sweat. I’m just trying to get rid of some of the shit you put into me. You look at me and frown. You sit at the mirror and pluck. This hurts me and I can’t understand why you yank some of the hair away and leave others. I grow those hairs one by one to protect your sight. Now is the worst part as you slather me with makeup. I can’t breath and deep in the skin I begin to grow a pimple in retaliation. Skin, eyebrows, eyes, lips. Nothing is left untouched. I can’t take this any longer so I make a growl deep inside. Feed me. Downstairs you go. The muesli you choose doesn’t excite me but it gives me what I need to help you. You fill me up and I am grateful. I start to stir internally and you go to the bathroom. I push the waste of last night’s dinner out of you. I have performed the extraordinary task of extracting the goodness from the food and using it to fuel us, but all you do is wrinkle your nose at the smell. Afterwards you wash my hands with soap and water, afraid of the very bacteria that lives inside you. More bombardments as you viciously brush my teeth. The bristles scratch at my delicate gums painfully. A final strike in the form of plastic prongs pulled across my scalp and through my hair and we are done. You put on a coat because the fat and hair that I try to warm you with isn’t enough and we go out to face the day.
body:
we need to talk about our relationship
Mind:
What?
body:
u dont appreciate me and u never listen to me u never say thank you for anything i do for u
Mind:
In what way?
In what way?
body:
i do everything! but ur never happy. i always make sure u have everything u need, u wouldnt be able to do anything without me!
Mind:
You’re overreacting!
You’re overreacting!
body:
u treat me like shit then say mean things about me when i have a totally normal reaction
Mind:
When?
When?
body:
all the fuckin time! when u dont give me any food for ages so i give out and then u tell me to shut up! or then when i do get food its usually a takeaway or something shitty and that makes me feel bad so then u get annoyed when i get upset from it. u get mad at me for making any kind of smell or sound when im just being myself! ur always trying to change me!
Mind:
Relax!
Relax!
body:
dont tell me to fuckin relax! ur the one that stresses me out! i just want to chill and ur always doing something or wanting stuff! u need to relax
Mind:
Fine, you’re right.
But you’re not innocent, you do things that hurt me too. Sometimes I feel like you’re trying to embarrass me in front of people. I don’t always know what you’re doing or why you’re doing it because you don’t explain yourself. It’s hard for me to understand you.
Fine, you’re right.
But you’re not innocent, you do things that hurt me too. Sometimes I feel like you’re trying to embarrass me in front of people. I don’t always know what you’re doing or why you’re doing it because you don’t explain yourself. It’s hard for me to understand you.
body:
im sorry i didnt know u were thinking that.
i dont do those things on purpose. i only ever want whats best for u and to help u. i promise ill try to be less stubborn and to listen to u more. ur right most of the time but not always so u need to listen to me too ok?
Mind:
OK
OK
body:
:)
Jessie de Boe 2022 ©