Menstrual Hut
By Opal Palmer Adisa
women go
to the hale pe’a
in hawaii
nourish their power
restore balance
jah-man
nu wan him woman
cook food
during dat time
stories whispered
nu eat stew peas
from any woman
yu can never tell
it will bind
cast a spell
tie you to her
forever
simbu people
of papua new guinea
among indonesians
west africans
almost everywhere
sister-to-sister
relief from work
break from men
removed from the community
they told stories
guarded their solitude
grew powerful
influenced
the men
using their blood
real sometimes staged
to clear a space
for feminine
positioning
most times
i’m an even-tempered
congenial person
some even say
i’m gregarious
but not today no private room
or isolated contentment
give me
shared space
where women-to-women
gather
laugh at man’s folly
and squash his fear
a menstrual hut
where women can just be
in charge of
nature’s energy