By Randi Jennings
good girls swallow.
like clockwork. 11pm.
pop the foil packet, tip my head back,
and swallow.
the paper insert is large enough to make a blanket
wrap myself in safety from the
acne
mood swings
nausea
mood swings
an extra 5 lbs
did I mention mood swings?
it’s not just a little teary-eyed at the notebook
it’s staring blankly at the wall as my mind is completely blank. dark. heavy.
i wonder what i would do with that time
if i had been born without a uterus.
solve world hunger, probably.
but i pop the foil packet
all so you can have your fun
did you bother to ask if I was even on the pill?
no, of course not
it is my duty
to atone for the sin of being born with a uterus
it is my responsibility
to hold the blame if i become the 1 in 9 for whom it fails
it is my “power”
to prevent an early motherhood on my own
this is what good little coeds do.