Friday, March 30, 2012

Poem in Praise of Menstruation

By 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.

2 comments:

  1. menstruation is generally limited to primates and humans

    ReplyDelete
  2. Moon river, the menstruation version? It's really nice! Praise our healthy bodies, they are beautiful machines.

    ReplyDelete

If you include links in your comment the whole comment will likely be deleted as spam. You have been warned! Otherwise, dialoguing with these poems is encouraged.