Once a month when the pain sears
The pain we feel that brings us to tears
When we wake up to a special surprise
When we want to go to sleep, to close our eyes
When we thought red meant love
The hearts, the dove
Red means pain
It destroys us in every way
When men tell us it can’t be that bad
I wonder if they realize just what it’s like to have blood
blood
Everywhere there is blood
Rushing through our veins
And then the time with the most pain
The time when we don’t want to play that game
It is a right of passage
It’s in the package
We sign our name in red
Wondering when the idea of it will enter your head
So once a month when the time comes
We understand that we’re the ones
The ones who are brave enough to carry the burden
The ones who can live with the hurtin’
The time of month just proves
That we are strong
We are brave
We are women
Comments
I so applaud you for taking a "taboo" topic like periods and turning it into something beautiful. There is such power and strength in this piece, which was a wonderful surprise (I originally read the line "It destroys us in every way" and thought the poem was going to take a different turn). I also love that you did not shy away from the word "blood" itself, without ever taking this in a graphic direction (although I feel that kind of angle in writing has merit too). You've shed off the ridiculous, unnecessary shame I felt when I was young and found pride instead, and for that, you have my greatest respect and appreciation!
Thank you so much. I was a little worried about posting this because of the ways periods are seen so I really appreciate your response.
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