Thy Period

a sixth grade classroom 

full of curious little girls 

stare at their teacher, whose face has turned bright red 

they are overwhelmed by questions that will never be answered 

society has censored the shedding uterus 

eleven-year-old me is anxious of rainfall I knew would come unannounced 

and when it arrived, it was a flood of unpleasantness 

what should’ve felt like a welcoming party to womanhood 

was actually an orientation to shame, 

graveyard to careless girl-hood 

marked by the discomfort rushing between my legs, 

ruining my sheets and favorite pajama pants. 

it takes a while to figure out the pounding on the walls of my belly 

serve as warning sirens for monthly monsoon 

I’ll pray to God my period doesn’t come at the end of the semester 

how am I supposed to be tested on chemistry 

when all I want to know is why 

there is such awful chemistry between my cycle and my back. 

when my grown brother asks me why I look like I’m about to faint 

I’ll excuse my agonizing tiredness to missing breakfast 

why are we so fast to conceal the nature of our bodies? 

as I grow I learn many things 

such as menstruation does not like to be lonely 

it magically syncs with the women around me 

the women I love 

I also learn PMS is nothing compared to all the pain our world inflicts on 

all that it means to be a woman. 

a young girl is listening to a middle-aged man call her blood unholy 

but what could be more blessed then the possibility of creating life? 

I’ve never read a novel that’s mentioned periods 

sometimes I forget menstruation is not a recent discovery 

no one ever told little girls to discuss and learn 

about their anatomy 

they’ve never had anywhere written for them: 

love thy period 

hate thy period 

but thou shall not 

stigmatize thy period 

isn’t it time we denounce the shame that’s stained the women before us? 

Mawadah is a 16-year-old artist and writer based in Riyadh. Born in Cairo, Egypt but growing up between America, Canada, and Saudi Arabia has made her explore themes of diaspora, identity, growing up and culture. She aims to de-stigmatize and create conversations about uncomfortable and important topics. Mawadah loves travelling, museums, dogs, and her ukulele.