Surfing the crimson waves
Seeing bright red
Purple red clots
And brown
Between my panties

Periods are full
Of irony

My belly bloats
As if
I’m 3 months pregnant
except I’m not

My breasts swell
Like they have milk
But they don’t

Sneezing
Unleashes
Niagara Falls

Blood clots
Like thick
Jello
Except the gross kind

Tracking my period
Taking Motrin
Praying I took it
Early enough
Otherwise
It’ll cause goosebumps
And feel like an iron fist
Clenches
And lets go of my uterus

I’ve never understood
Why
My body tortures me
For not having a baby
If and when
I have a baby
It’ll just get
Tortured in a
Different way

And all I can do
Is sit here in my
Misery
Crying for no reason
Hating my boyfriend
Annoyed by his breathing
But knowing that
He’s seen my blood
And didn’t runaway
So he’s a keeper

Riding a rollercoaster
Of emotions
Because of mood swings.

My monthly bill
Has come
Deciding between
Tampon
Pad
Or cup
Costing me money
To control bleeding
That has a mind of it’s own

I paid
The cashier
He wished me
A good weekend
Both knowing
It wouldn’t be
For me

Staining everything
That’s why you have
Period underwear
On reserve
Memories of failed attempts
At having sex
Stained towels
All to messy
For my taste

It’s sometimes
Like that uninvited family member
That overstays its welcome
But brings a good gift

Grateful that I’m bleeding
And have no baby
But sadness for those
Trying to have a baby

Periods smell
I splash every crevice
Out of paranoia
To not let the world
Know

But maybe I do
Instead of giving
The typical how are you
Response

Maybe I’ll just answer
By reading this poem
And politely
Ask for chocolate
If they’d like me
To stop

The woman scientist said PMS
Isn’t real
Probably
Wants a career
In politics
Because periods are a weakness

However
Every month
I show up to work
Wearing black
Forgiving Clothing
Giving pads to
My students who have
Synced up
Faking it till I make it
With my chin up.