In Praise of the Red Moon
Feminist poetry. Visual love. Period.
Hello dear readers. I am very happy to share these words with you today. Writing Da Rabbit Hole has become one of my favourite moments of the week. I really appreciate you being here.
After a lovely night out with my friends, listening to them and understanding how they honor their menstruation, I could not help but reflect on my relationship with my own period. Hence, I’d like to share some poems and visual essays by some of the most talented women on this planet. I also included one I wrote. I hope you enjoy them.
Poem in Praise of Menstruation (Lucille Clifton)
if there is a river
more beautiful than this
bright as the blood
red edge of the moon if
there is a river
more faithful than this
returning each month
to the same delta if there
is a river
braver than this
coming and coming in a surge
of passion, of pain if there is
a river
more ancient than this
daughter of eve
mother of cain and of abel if there is in
the universe such a river if
there is some where water
more powerful than this wild
water
pray that it flows also
through animals
beautiful and faithful and ancient
and female and brave
Ruby Flo (Yolanda Wisher)
Red Moons, Full Rivers (words are mine, art by Mariana Martínez)
a forest grew
between my legs
ashamed
scared
sick
at 11
i did not dare taking a look
go get a tampon, move on
something must be wrong with me
for blood is a sign of malady
of sickness and disease
or so they say
they didn’t tell me
red rivers carry
ancestors’ journeys
joy and sorrow
unexplored paths
they forgot to mention
my body is now stronger
more powerful
sacred
nobody told me
dear child
your blood
red rivers
full moons
red moons
full rivers
a miracle
life
I hope you know
girl
you’re blooming
Period (Rupi Kaur)
i bleed each month to help make humankind a possibility. my womb is home to the divine. a source of life for our species. whether i choose to create or not. but very few times it is seen that way. in older civilizations this blood was considered holy. in some it still is. but a majority of people. societies. and communities shun this natural process. some are more comfortable with the pornification of women. the sexualization of women. the violence and degradation of women than this. they cannot be bothered to express their disgust about all that. but will be angered and bothered by this. we menstruate and they see it as dirty. attention seeking. sick. a burden. as if this process is less natural than breathing. as if it is not a bridge between this universe and the last. as if this process is not love. labour. life. selfless and strikingly beautiful.
Bleed in Dignity (Pinky Chandran)
I walked, and walked,
Holding my child, in one hand,
Carrying another on my hip,
I walked and walked,
With my meagre belongings,
Mass Exodus,
They called,
Pictures of our walk back home,
Surfaced everywhere,
Some strangers offered food and water,
While some handed out masks,
Some offered sanitary pads,
But was I to do with the pads,
For my privacy was compromised,
Where are the spaces?
When our vulnerabilities don’t matter,
Where are the spaces?
When our existences have been invisibilized?
Where are the spaces?
When, I walked and walked
Where are the spaces?
When we were rendered homeless?
Where are the spaces?
Periods, then my friend
Was a luxury we could not afford…
For we need to bleed in dignity!
PS. How lucky am I to talk about being sacred with my friends?
How lucky am I to call Mariana my friend and create with her?
Have a happy Sunday. Hug your friends. Period.
Did you like this essay? In case you missed them: