Thursday, February 24, 2011

This Blog Has Moved!



Ominous Brassieres has found a new home on Wordpress!

http://ominousbras.wordpress.com/

All the old content has been imported and a new post is already up, so head on over to check it out.

Naturally, all new posts will be made there.

The are some little fixes here and there that still need to be done, but overall it's up and running. I think you'll enjoy it. I know I do.

Monday, February 21, 2011

We'll Play Some Old Records

Lovely, what do you think of me? You don't know me all that well, I suppose. Oh, we've talked and laughed and shared our secrets, but what does all that really say about a person? You would argue that it says quite a lot, I'm sure.

You have the most enchanting eyes. Have I ever told you that? I should. They're clear and bright, like you. You're dirty, darling, and you can match wits with the best of them, but you have no venom. I like that.

Now, I've gotten off topic: What is it you think of me? I think you think quite highly of me. Funny. I wouldn't. But then, I know so much more about myself than you do. I have half a mind to lay it all out before you. Or better yet, prostrate myself and let you do it yourself. Dissect me; really get in there; pull it all out. Dirty your hands with my inner self.

The strangest part is, I'm not all that bad. Not, at least, by this society's standards. But yours? Oh, sweetheart, I fall painfully short. I wish you knew. I wish I had the courage to tell you.

What would you make of the thoughts that have been racing through my mind, of the plans I've constructed for my life? Oh, don't get me wrong, you wouldn't leave. Things would be different for us, though. You wouldn't think so highly of me anymore, and I'm not sure I can live with that.

If I let my desire consume me, well, I'd drag you down with me. I'd sit with you on this sinking ship and laugh as we drowned. I want to touch you. I want you to fall asleep next to me. I want to watch you and know that I've won.

It's not about satiating the flesh, love. It's about bringing you down to my level. I want to squeeze you until all the goodness runs out of those stunning eyes. If you can be broken, then I can't be that bad. I can't be that bad.

Don't hate me. I'd never do this. I love you too much. I love you more than I hate myself.

Maenad

I'm riding in the wake of my euphoria. It doesn't feel good.

The spasms gradually lessened into nothing. The lights stopped flashing. The film was peeled off my mind.

Emptiness.

I'm so empty like this, alone. I need people. I pretend I don't, but I do. I need them close to me, warm against me, holding me.

Those lines can get so blurred. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.

I feel like smacking myself for judging all those people. "Control yourself; you have no decency; you have no self-control."

Hypocrite.

I'm a hypocrite, and I don't care. Dionysus has sunk his grip into my mind.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

If Alice Found Her Rabbit Hole


Alice never knew
(But I do)
The potential of that rabbit hole
All the fun that could've been had
If she abandoned all sense
And let herself go

The caterpillar, she did not like
She should have
(I know this, because)
He can share what's in his pipe
And bring about those strange delights
That one most often chases down
Rabbit Holes
In search of

Or that Cheshire Smile--
Her naivety shows--
That can so much more than loom
Out of the dark
(In a frightening way)
With potential to work that
Twisted, Crazy, Rabbit Hole
Magic on her softer bits

Well Alice may have never known
All the secrets of that rabbit hole
But I do
And I wish I could see
How far I could go
(While still being me)

If I turned to the wind and said
"Take my sense
I don't need it anymore
With my rabbit hole friends"
And threw that sense away
Away into the wind
Would I miss it
Or find
It's (really) more fun this way?

But rabbit holes are tricky things
(They're full of wonder but)
They're deep
And if I jump right down this rabbit hole
Will I find my way back
Or will I find I must stay?

"Now, Alice," You say
"Now she was fine
So you will be too
So step in line"
But Alice was blind
(Unaware of the fact)
That Rabbit Holes

Are slinky, sexy, dangerous
Places for little girls
To lose themselves
(In mystery
And Thrills)
To pretend, for a day
That they can be someone else

And if I were to follow her
(To that place underground)
I expect that I'd far too much enjoy
All those lures of the Rabbit Hole
To ever much care
If I remained lost or was found

Monday, February 14, 2011

The Big "V.D."


I was dreading Valentine's Day this year, but now that's it's arrived, I find that I've come to a tentative peace with it. It's never fun to spend alone, but I can work past that. Today is supposed to be about celebrating the love you have with your significant other. Well, I don't have an S.O., but I have something even better. I have myself.

The thing is, we have to spend our whole lives with ourselves. If I had a dollar for every time I saw a person that hated him- or herself, I'd be a rich woman. Who cares about romance when the feelings you have towards yourself are fractured and tainted?

I have a healthy love for who I am, and that's what I'll be celebrating today. I bought myself a card, flowers, and a box of assorted chocolates; I'll be spending the evening eating pizza and watching bad TV; and I'll love every minute of it.

I hope that you have a very happy Valentine's Day.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Hazy


It's strange how your past comes creeping up on you when you least expect it.

"Hey, didn't we used to go to school together? I remember you."

Do you? I don't.

I wonder what she's remembering when she looks at me. I wonder who I was then. That whole time is painted black in my mind. I only remember snippets, frozen images. I don't have nearly enough to piece together a complete story.

I'm surprised she remembers me at all. I guess I must've had more of an effect there than I though . . . or maybe just a memorable face.

I remember her too. I remember all of them. All the faces, all the words, all the emotions rushing back--are they even real?

Why can't I remember myself?

He'll Never Leave Me

It seems that, for me, introspection is equivalent to pessimism. Whenever I'm "honest" with myself, I invariably point out everything that's wrong--whether it's an internal or external factor. I've been thinking a lot about relationships lately. I've worked myself into such a sad, paranoid corner. I'm so ready to point out every failed friendship, every broken romance that's ever come into my life. I hardly ever default, though, to focusing on all the beautiful ones.

I was reminded of one in particular today.

I'm not really sure how you would classify our relationship. He's the best friend I've ever had, to be certain, but he's also been a counselor. He's been with me through all the ups and downs, and has held my hand no matter how far I've fallen. His love for me has never been affected by mistakes I've made. He's never hesitated to forgive me. He's been constant all the years I've known him, and has never wavered in his principles or affections.

He is kindness, truth, and strength in my life.

He's taken care of me when I didn't have enough sense to take care of myself. He's been there waiting with open arms even when I've ignored him or been blatantly abusive. He's held me while I've cried. There are times when I've come to him a complete wreck, an incoherent, sobbing mess, and he doesn't think twice before scooping me up in his arms and hugging me close until I've quieted. He's tender, but he isn't afraid to correct me when I'm in the wrong.

I know that no matter what happens to me, I'll be okay, because he's in my life.

If only I could explain how I've acted towards him. I have been fickle in my love; I've lied to him; I've dropped him on a dime. I've turned on him in the company of others. I've up and left without any prior warning. I've screamed at him, insulted him, and have stomped on the kind things he's done. I've twisted his words, and thrown the perversions back in his face. I've consciously done things that I know upset him solely for the sake of twisting the knife.

Yet, he's always been there when I come crawling back. He doesn't judge me, doesn't say anything. He just smiles, knowing. He knows me so much better than I even know myself. He forgives me without my even having to ask. He throws away the past, and sets his eyes on our future.

He is so pure in his intentions that I'm brought to tears. He is the most wonderful man in the world, and I love him. I love him so much that I want to scream and sing it from the rooftops. He sets my entire being on fire, and every morning I wake excited to lose myself in him. It's awful what I've put him through, but he doesn't care, because he loves me more than his own life.

He's brought me into his family. He's shown me more tenderness and brought me more peace than I thought possible. I love him, I love him, I love him!

People try to shame me for our relationship, but I've stopped caring. He's the most beautiful thing in my life, and I'll tell anyone who asks.

I'm not afraid anymore.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Inevitability

I wish I was braver. I can be pathetically weak when it comes to taking a stand. I crumple. No where does this show itself more obviously than in my relationships.

I should preface by saying that many of my relationships are healthy--that is to say, the established ones. There's a reason, though, why I can count so few people as my close friends. I'm awful in new relationships. I'm neurotic and obsequious. It's not that I lose myself, but in my desperate attempt to make a connection, I tend to shove myself away. I hang on tenterhooks waiting to speak to a potential friend again. It would be pitiful if it wasn't so off-putting.

I suppose most people don't consciously notice it. We all love attention and flattery, so it would take a peculiarly aware--dare I say, abnormal--person to find my behavior unappealing. Inevitably, however, this new-found connection will pass on, done with me. Don't take it the wrong way, most people don't do this maliciously. It's natural to make transitions in life, and if you find yourself becoming bored with activities or conversations, well: by all means, transition. Never mind that all those actions and words are attached to a person. Never mind that she cares so much more than you.

If I may backtrack for a moment, I want to address the nature of inevitabilities. They, in and of themselves, are not so bad, I think. Humans are so marvelously resilient. If we're thrown down, we jump back up. If we fail one way, we try another. It's the drive to never give up, to keep on against the odds, to test out limits in survival. So, then, when we face an inevitability, we aren't thrown off course. We recognize the situation and do what we must to make ourselves comfortable with the outcome. (Not in altogether healthy ways, at times, but the point isn't lost.)

It isn't the inevitable failure of friendship itself that I fear, it's the circumstances surrounding it. I hate not knowing the when, where, and why. The knowledge is so impossibly general, so abstract, that I find myself unable to move past it. When a friendship is ended it isn't just that you have one less person in your life--it's the emotional upheaval, the physical loss of presence, and a cache full of aching memories. That's what I fear, and that's what I know nothing of.

I wish I could be brave and say, "Here's my heart, don't fucking break it." That's what I want to say, but I can never bring myself to. The truth is that they can break it, tear it, constrict it, riddle it full of holes, just as long as they don't let go. Don't let go, and you can treat me how you like. I feel connected to you, I may even love you--please don't drop me.

The worst part is, I haven't found another way. When I hide myself, they move on. When I let myself shine through our encounters, they move on faster. I feel so tossed around that when I finally make that connection--when I'm able to take hold of something solid--I'm so starved and desperate that I overcompensate. I'm so fearful of losing it that I don't dare let myself show and compromise the situation.

Call it codependency. Call it neuroses. Call it low self-esteem.

I call it justifiable fear.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Snow White Disgusts Me

I will never ever never let my kids read Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Or watch the movie. Or own the Barbie. Never.

You want to know why?

Because it's disgusting, that's why.

At first glance it seems okay, right? The seven little men living alone in the woods is, admittedly, a bit weird. However, who are we to judge? But that's at first glance.

The other day, I was pondering over this particular work of fiction. Why? I asked myself, do the dwarfs have such strange names? And why is Snow White so nice? And why did Disney deviate so far from the original story in the creation of the movie?

Then the oh-so-true truth dawned on me. The sick, horrible truth: Snow White is a commercial endorsement of drug use, psychosis, and mild disorders.

Allow me to expound:

Doc
He's the pre-med dropout/alcoholic. After showing up drunk to class for the third time, he was "let go" from his courses. And given a restraining order. When the dwarfs realized Doc couldn't act as their supplier anymore, they moved out into a secluded wood to wean themselves off their addictions. It didn't work. Doctor Dipso's constantly red nose (I mean come on--he can't get sunburned in a mine), beer belly-paunch, and onsetting wet brain do little to disguise his addiction. (Not to mention, an alcoholic doctor. Come on, man--spare us the irritating cliche.) Luckily for him, the A-type personality and delusional optimism that keeps his drug circle droogies in line also keeps Grumpy's knife at bay.

Dopey
It's a sad day for humanity if I have to explain this one. He's the hippie pothead, originally too scared to try anything hardcore, and now too brain damaged to care one way or another. He's the luckiest of the seven, as the forest provides a fertile environment to grow and harvest his marijuana, so he never has to go without a fix. The green-suited dope fiend is probably also sharing in Doc's booze supply (note beer belly, red nose, and vague, swimming demeanor).


Sleepy

He's the resident barbiturate addict. Ironically, he wasn't a druggie before moving out to the woods, but his brothers' compulsive and violent withdrawal behaviors sent him running for escape . . . which he found in sleeping . . . all the time . . . with the help of downers. Sleepy has been known, at times, to substitute alcohol for drugs, curling up with a bottle of Scotch (Doc's Scotch) and crying himself to sleep. It's a clinical depressive thing--you wouldn't understand.

Sneezy
Tell me, what drug is taken through the nose, hurting the nostrils and causing uncontrollable nosebleeds and sneezing? That's right--he's on a regular diet of Bolivian Marching Powder, this one. Unfortunately for our little cokehead, during the making of Snow White he was in the habit of blowing several rails every night, leaving him with sick hangovers right out some cliche drug movie and nasty-tasting postnasal drip during filming. (His inexplicably retarded behavior--EXPLAINED: the man was using Doc's liquor stash to counteract splitting cocaine-induced headaches. He did fabulous considering how plastered he was.)


Grumpy
Originally, Grumpy was a heroin addict. Seeing as how his dealer wasn't willing to tramp into the happy bunny forest where the dwarfs relocated to exchange the goods, though, he made the switch to methadone in hopes of coming off his dependency altogether. He failed. As a result, though he's been spared the seemingly inevitable opioid withdrawal syndrome, the methadone has left him and without any of the euphoric effects of heroin, leaving him a right crotchety old jerk (and completely stabilized, mind you, meaning he can continue his pissy behavior right up to his death).

Bashful
A chronic sufferer of social anxiety disorder, Bashful turned to self-medication within the SSRI family of drugs when Doc got his hands on some Paxil. (Side note: Bashful used to be a rather trim little thing, but as paroxetine causes serious weight gain, he's now running [no pun intended] at about forty pounds over.) His condition being so severe that the ingestion of any more pills would result in heart failure, Bashful also frequents Doc's alcohol supply--Coors Light, to be exact, which keeps a nice buzz going without causing (too) serious an impediment to his mental faculties, and also doesn't contribute (too) heavily to any further weight gain.

(It may be worth mentioning here that most of the dwarfs are burgeoning alcoholics, courtesy of Doc. It was unavoidable, really, given that alcohol is the universal substance to abuse.)

Happy
I'm of the personal opinion that men this morbidly overweight should not even attempt cultivating facial hair, as it makes them out to be some sort of deranged Santa. And by God, I was right. Albeit, in this case, it's more of an overly-friendly Captain Kangaroo, potato sack shoe-wearing, strangely shaped hat-sporting deranged elf of Santa, but my point remains, nonetheless. Anyway, I think it should be clear to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that that not only is Happy a chronic overeater, but is also, not surprisingly, on "happy pills." Ecstasy. Lord knows all the symptoms match up: enhanced sense of self-confidence and energy, feelings of closeness and the desire to touch others, as well as peacefulness, empathy, and acceptance. Now if only there were medical terms to explain away that blasted horn he insists on playing, and we might actually be getting somewhere.

Snow White

If you thought the dwarfs were bad, just wait 'til I fill you in on Snow White. Although she doesn't participate in substance abuse (on a regular basis), Snow White does have deep and concerning psychoses. First and foremost, she displays indulgence in fantasies and escapism (through manual labor) to such an extent that she is barred from reality. We first see this shown in the beginning when she is singing that "one day her prince will come" while performing tedious and strenuous cleaning under the abusive jurisdiction of her stepmother. These could very well have stemmed from a desperate attempt to put up walls against her stepmother's maltreatment, having evolved in such a way that she has mentally separated herself from this plane. Another point of interest is her weak-to-the-point-of-nonexistent personal boundaries and a thwarted maternal drive that we see manifested when she joins up with the dwarfs. Perhaps these are just subsets of her fantasies (refer to her seemingly inherent need for a prince?), or another thing altogether, but we've got trouble in River City either way.

I won't even bother asking if I've converted you, because I know I have

Friday, February 4, 2011

To Whom It May Conern

Excuse me, condescending assholes: You have no right to speak to me the way you do. You are rude, you are nearsighted, and, frankly, stupid. You have no basis for the things you say. They are predicated on ignorance and insensitivity.

Next time, before you open your whiny mouth, think, "What will I gain from acting like a superior asshat in this situation?"

The answer is: nothing. Nothing whatsoever. Want to know why? Because I've already beaten you. I am so far ahead in every pertinent category that no matter how much bullshit you spew at me, you can never catch up. You are not more competent than I am; you are not more aware than I am; and you sure as hell aren't smarter than I am.

Perhaps you should consider the possibility--and I know this will sound crazy--that I am not the slow one in any given situation. Perhaps if there has been a miscommunication, misunderstanding, or something similar, it is you who has caused it. And before you mention that I am the only one who does not seem to [understand the way you speak/follow you logic/care about the tabloids/follow a strict diet/etc.], and therefore I must be the one in the wrong . . . no, sweetheart, that's not how it works. There are some stark differences in our backgrounds and cultures, and it would be ridiculous to assume that I would connect to anything and everything you offer up. (Moreover, you would not last a day with my people. You would embarrass yourself to no end. However, we would have better manners than to openly mock you for it.)

You are the problem. I do not say this to your face because I very much doubt it would have any effect on the way you conduct yourself. You are self-absorbed and eternally bent on being right. The day you take someone else's feelings and suggestions into account is the day hell freezes over.

My only consolation is that I will be subjected to you for a very short time, but you have to live with yourself forever.