Baby Precious Always Shines

Leah Garchik of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas had used the word “cow” as substitute for “orgasm.” But I’d read they’d actually used it as a euphemism for “bowel movement.” (Leah used the word “turd.”)  I had read about it in a book, Baby Precious Always Shines, edited by Kay Turner.  Ms Turner wrote that there had been a health fad at the turn-of-the-century, centering on healthy digestion, and that Alice had regularly experienced trouble in that area; she’d possibly suffered from something like irritable bowel syndrome.  Re-reading the book, I thought it plausible that Turner’s suggestion was correct.  And though to some the love notes left by Gertrude for Alice might appear crude, I felt they revealed a typical concern of one lover for another.  More––the notes are affectionate, touching, and at times rather funny.  I enjoyed them so much I decided to turn some of them into works-on-paper for myself.

Treating her from top to toe

From befront to behind

From left to right

And hugging her tight
 

I love my wifey so completely

Oh so completely, and she is

To have a lovely cow a real

Cow splash goes the cow now,

Splash splash splash lovely

Baby smelly cow comes out of

Baby anyhow now

Blessed baby, baby

Is all warm coffee

Is all hard bath is

All warm cow coming

Out of the little behind

Is all warm and baby

Is free from harm

Here oh so here

Baby all flowers and vegetables

Sweetness my own jelly belly

My own sweetness sweetness

 

No mistake

Baby when

She is

Awake

No mistake

 

With a blue notebook.  And

A pencil.  I speak to baby

I speak to little stomach

I counsel mister to be good

I suggest kisses to speak

Quickly and what do I say

To Petunia.  Oh Peetunia

 

Her and her

two apples

inside her

 

Always the news

That she is me

And I am she

 

These works-on-paper measure 25" tall x 19" wide.