A Menstruator’s Lament by Alexandra Naparstek (Florida, 20)

​I.
Here we go again:
pull down the cloth which reveals the river
that flows spastically and stains
everything it touches.
Open the wrapper (the right way),
place the plastic properly
between your fingers.

Remember when you first tried this maneuver?
Twelve and in agony
as the tube’s teeth stabbed skin and
pinched the little flaps still growing in.

​II.
Insert.
Now this part is crucial,
insert at an angle, pointing toward your lower back.

​Sometimes the tube feels fine,
slips in effortlessly;
sometimes the tube is a reminder,
a touchstone for trauma,
especially if you are running a bit dry today.

Once your index finger meets skin,
gently,

​unlike times before,

pull the plastic applicator out.
Blood can follow suit, do not fret.

​III.
In all this pain one must rejoice:
At least I am not pregnant.

IV.
To remove the tampon you must gently pull
the string which dangles from your vulva.
If you go too hard

It might break

And who knows what that entails?

Sit. Open your legs. Pull and do not look.





​Alexandra Naparstek is a senior at Florida State University studying literature and biology. They have been previously published in Inlandia, Ephimiliar, and The Kudzu Review. Aside from writing, Alexandra paints and is a musician.