First it was cramps Grinding, debilitating cramps Tying my abdomen in An impossible sailor’s knot And out came the heating pad— A thick, orange water bottle— And the plug-in blanket, The rice sack that smelled like Lavender in the microwave Double socks Double blankets Pain, searing hot showers 48 hours of misery. After I had ...

The politics of places fascinate me. Deep down, I believe the concept fascinates everybody. Politics are like the two-hundred-year-old tree in the downtown center, its root systems sprawled out in layers beneath the soil. Its bark, an aged face that has seen the histories some try to forget. I argue that the politics of place ...

 Women Left Behind in a Man’s Gym The morning was sunny and bristling with a caffeinated buzz. A cleaner and a cloth were helping to fill gaps in my schedule. I worked to get the equipment as clean as the crisp white ‘Personal Trainer’ emblem stamped across the back of my shirt. This day, my ...

Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 here! I’ve heard multiple myths regarding PCOS. The one that bothers me the most is that PCOS only affects overweight women. It’s simply not true. Many women who have PCOS are overweight. However, PCOS doesn’t discriminate and can affect women of all sizes. The relationship between the two is ...

Read Chapter One Here. When I was in the ninth grade, I got teased for my excessive amounts of dark arm hair. I shaved my arms the next morning and have continued to do so for seventeen years. I have dark brown hair, so I’m almost positive that’s where the dark arm hair came from ...

We as women and individuals need to say no more. We need to stand together and uplift one another. We need to practice self-care and self-compassion so that we may set an example for younger generations. We need to show ourselves and others that not only is it okay to love ourselves, but critical to ...

He is the perfect partnerThe words tumble from her lipsdisregarding anypain or tearspreviously shed He is passionate and dignifiedwords she now uttersas the warmthof his bodycomforts her in his bed His words aresoft and caringlike none she’s ever heardher words describe him boldlywithout the slightest care in the world She’s oblivious to thetime and patienceinvested ...

Put some flowers in a vase, Push them right up to my face. Say you like the way I smell. If you have a girlfriend, I can’t tell.   But, that’s a good thing. Keep it hidden. I don’t play with other women’s kittens. But, for a little while, I’ll play with you. Let me ...

Vulnerable and lonely Don’t let me be, The strength of my family lies on me. Can’t be weak, Feel no emotion. Drown my femininity In the deep, dark ocean.

I was pretty baffled at what happened to me the other morning, outside of my house on Brookside Drive… My boyfriend and I had the hoods of our cars up in preparation to check their oil and add windshield washer fluid. I thought this was very normal. I told my boyfriend to hold the washer ...