At Fifty-Five, What I'll Miss About My Period, Should That Day Ever Come

I will miss
unexpected bulbous solitary pimples—
crocuses blossoming on my nose announcing the advent
of my upcoming spring

collections of fans like reading glasses
in every purse, pocket, book bag—the methodical layering
on of clothes—the ability to strip down to the last layer
in five seconds or less

waking at 3 AM drenched
shuffling through the house, turning off the alarm
standing outside, barefoot, in the sleet
returning to a blanketless bed

paying $20 room service delivery for two
(for one), extra hot fudge—don’t hold back
on the whipped cream and of course nuts
Hot Fudge Sundae

bloating, cramps, flooding—extra clothes in the car,
simultaneously bursting into Jekyll and Hyde
exploding into tears over miscellaneous pet commercials
the news, The Bridges of Madison County

mostly I will miss that surge of OCD energy—
shredding papers, flattening boxes for recycling, the cats,
my inbox, the whole freaking house and all its components
contained, labeled, properly put away

-Laura LeHew

Widely published Laura LeHew’s collections include: Buyer's Remorse (forthcoming-Tiger's Eye Press Infinities), Becoming (Another New Calligraphy), Willingly Would I Burn, (MoonPath Press), It’s Always Night, It Always Rains, (Winterhawk Press) and Beauty (Tiger’s Eye Press). In her other life Laura owns a computer forensics and network security consulting company. Laura received her MFA from the California College of Arts. She edits a small press Uttered Chaos utteredchaos.org. In her “misguided” youth Stephen King paid to kiss her. lauralehew.com.