Cunt by Betty Dodson Inga Muscio Read Free Book Online Page A

than that, sea sponges are the coolest. I’ve developed an endearing friendship
     with my sponges. They are miraculous little plant bodies that once lived in the ocean,
     which is also ruled by the moon. And they don’t carry that impersonal, flushable,
     bleached personality tampons possess.
    Sea sponges can be found at almost all Anystore U.S.A.-type stores, usually in the
     make-up or bathtime section. If you’re lucky enough to have a health food co-op in
     your town, they’re sure to have them. At under two dollars apiece, they pay for themselves
     after one month.
    Keep them clean . Boil a new sponge before you use it for the first time. Store them in a little cotton
     bag. Wash them and let them dry completely before putting them away for the month,
     but always wash them again before using. I’ve heard that you can use more than one at a time
     if you bleed a lot, but I’ve never tried this. I wouldn’t recommend using the same
     sea sponge for more than a few months because the natural fibers wear down after a
     while and it gets kinda disintegratey.
    A friend of mine who uses sea sponges once told me about an experience in a public
     restroom. She was at a busy nightclub, waiting in line with eight or so other women
     to use the toilet. There were four stalls and at least that many women at the sinks,
     primping and washing their hands. Suddenly, all normal bathroom conversation came
     to a crashing halt as a voice from behind one of the stall doors pealed out, “I’m
     coming out with my sea sponge, so if you’re gonna gross out, shut your eyes.” A woman
     then emerged from her stall, sea sponge in hand. With all eyes upon her, she washed
     it carefully at the sink, went back into the stall and finished up her business. One
     woman actually did close her eyes, but everyone else stood transfixed, witnessing
     the woman’s ritual with her sea sponge. When the woman came out again, she fielded
     quite a number of questions about where to get sea sponges and how to use them. The
     whole room of women came together for a few moments, laughing and talking about our
     blood.
    I enjoy imagining how the culture of restrooms would be different if our periods weren’t
     all hush, flush ’n rush.
     
    The Keeper is another fabulous gizmo for catching blood flow. It is a natural rubber
     cup with a stem that has a small hole in the end. The cup fits over your cervix, and
     when it’s full, little drips of blood flow through the stem, letting you know it’s
     time to tend to your Keeper.
    I have never tried The Keeper because I don’t like things covering my cervix, but
     I still average around two emails a month from ladies extolling the The Keeper’s virtue.
     It is, I’ve been informed by sources all over the globe, reusable, incredibly comfortable
     and convenient.
     
    Using sea sponges and the Keeper are very good ways for women to cut down on contributions
     to large corporations that don’t readily promote the idea that cunts are sacredholy,
     and responsible for the entrance of every human being walking this earth.
    But some ladies just don’t like internal blood-soaking devices at all. Some ladies
     like to bleed onto something.
    Even though me and my period have come to terms quite nicely over the years, I still
     can’t put anything up my cunt on the first day of my period. My uterus rebels if a
     stray pubic hair finds its way up my canal on that ultrasensitive first day.
    So I asked my grandmother, “What did ladies bleed on before Kotex dreamed up those
     thick-as-white-wall-tire pads and elastic security belts?” She blinked her desert
     tortoise eyeballs before replying, “Child, where do you think the phrase ‘on the rag’
     comes from?”
    So smitten was I with not spending my money on tampons, I started safety-pinning rags
     to a pair of boys’ underwear. (Why are BVDs so comfy, while Maidenform makes all these
     panties that cost too much and skooch up one’s ass?)
    I cut up a