Ragada (Ραγάδα) is the greek word for stretch mark. Stretch mark is a form of scarring on the skin with an off-colour hue. Over time they may diminish, but will not disappear completely. Stretch marks are caused by tearing of the dermis during periods of rapid growth of the body, such as during pregnancy. Once they have formed there is no clearly effective treatment, though various methods have been attempted and studied.
“I’ve always said that birth is an inverse love. I’ve tried to go back to my mother’s hole. Threat. Fog. The boy with the blood stained clothes is lugging the woman who attempted to emigrate, the woman who attempted to get sick, the woman who attempted to commit suicide. Absurdity. And that sound pierced me. Mourning. Silent creatures with tearful screams. Voices mute after the deafening confession. Farse. The cruelty birthing woman. I thought it was the placenta and I ate it like a proper mother. Eagering creatures. The odour of sour milk, hot bread, wet soil. I deny my birth. Destruction. In another future I will be born inwards.”