A Game of Tag by Maelina Frattaroli
A Game of Tag by Maelina Frattaroli
May is Period Awareness Month - Vol IV
By Guest Writer Maelina Frattaroli (She/Her)
Editor’s Note: May is Period Awareness Month! Yes, getting your period can be a drag, but it’s an important function of the female body. It’s something that we all deal with, but aren’t supposed to talk about, even though it happens on a frequent, and regular basis. Every girl and woman experiences their period differently, with it impacting their daily lives from sports to culture, religion, and social environments. The hormones related to menstruation and menopause impact women’s health in ways that are still not fully understood, and millions of girls and women do not have access to period products for the same reason: it’s rude to talk about your period. To bring awareness and de-stigmatize the period, The Earthly Kitchen is bringing you a collection of true stories every Friday for the month of May from guest writers. Be sure you’re subscribed to receive newsletters right to your inbox and share with your menstruating friends!
"You're it," says another it.
There you are, 12,
For 12-infinity miles of red. Read-
About it, they say.
It's a rite of passage, they say.
Keep it to yourself, they say.
To embrace this self-chase: the bite of thorns,
Fallen branches out of nowhere,
Crackling beneath soles like a stir-fry,
Serving up helpings in a fiery Welcome to Womanhood.
"Get out of the woods and come inside!"
If you're 12:
Do not let it drive you away,
Out of places that matter most,
Knowing Certain has already passed,
Imprinted in drops of permanence.
Between the trout brook behind,
And the class IV rapids ahead,
You're it.
Maelina is a general lover of all things words and nature. From a young age, she knew she'd have an on-again, off-again love affair with writing. Words are her medicine, in any form. By day, she is a healthcare content strategist. By night, she's a poet who often doesn't know it. Oh, and a full-time parent, no big deal at all. And in full transparency, she's been on a writing hiatus and is finding out what it means to get back to it, one failure and one success at a time. Maelina's work has been published in blogs such as Tiny Buddha and her poems have been published in Annapurna Magazine, also on random sites like Leaves of Ink, and sometimes in other places without her knowing. Surprise! Maelina lives in Fairfield, Connecticut with her husband, daughter and family of plants.
