periods are not that bad.
except when it feels like
i’ve split my spine
on concrete.

if it was something
men had to go through,
they’d get paid leave.
once a month
for at least a day.

i’ve taken codeine,
my brain is fuzzy
but it doesn’t stop the pain.
i can feel my pelvis
snap like a twig
as i turn at my desk —
still, somehow,
with a smile on my face.

thing is,
sometimes it’s not that bad.
it hurts
like a storm of glass
piercing through skin
but we do what’s expected
without talking about it.

but on days like this,
when i’m half in my grave,
and, i wish i was joking,
i’d really appreciate
if someone,
anyone,
just took out
this decayed,
rotten thing.

i find myself
praying
for that sort
of sorcery to exist.

anyone?