Silent Flow Begins

By Upadhayayula Krishna Sanjana

Warm, breezy winter, fresh and exciting,

Fear and tiring, with exams arriving.

The last Saturday before the mains,

Preparations done for students to gain.

An unusual pain, cramps all around,

Yet focus and attendance must be found.

Dad appears at the school gate,

With confusion and questions that await.

With hesitation, he makes the call,

Seeking permission from teacher’s hall.

Shock in their eyes, yet I stay still,

Not wanting to leave, against my will.

Welcomed by mother and grandma’s embrace,

Happiness and worry, both on their face.

Answering the questions, much needed,

A change in me, fully unheeded.

Traditions and cultures, meaning so deep,

Separating women, as customs keep.

After five days of struggle and pain,

Turmeric glows on me once again.

Exams continue, a challenge is worn,

Menstruation and tests—a crown now borne.

Meeting both burdens in eleven’s reign,

A test of strength, through joy and pain.

The bleeding, the cramps, the endless swings,

A silent battle every girl brings.

"Why only us?" we ask through time,

Yet nature reminds—we rise, we shine.

By Upadhayayula Krishna Sanjana